A Question of Loyalty
by TateDeco
Summary: The murder of Jason Todd pushes Batman over the edge. Nightwing has to race against time to keep his mentor from committing an irreversible mistake. But what if Bruce doesn't want to be pulled back?
1. Chapter 1

**\- A Question of Loyalty –**

**Summary:**

**The murder of Jason Todd pushes Batman over the edge. Nightwing has to race against time to keep his mentor from committing an irreversible mistake. But what if Bruce doesn't want to be pulled back?**

**AN****: This story takes place during the five year-gap between seasons 1 and 2. Dick is 16 in this.**

**1\. Dick**

The Joker had broken out of Arkham again. What else was new? Dick threw on his Nightwing suit and hurried to Gotham. He checked his wrist computer and followed the bat-shaped symbol with his eyes. Bruce was on his way to the warehouse district at a breakneck pace.

Dick cursed and accelerated his motorcycle.

Normally he would trust Bruce with the Joker and keep his eyes on the distress signal if his partner needed back-up. Not tonight. Everything had changed after Jason had- after they had lost him. For months now Bruce had been sending every petty thief into a body cast. Raining his fists down on them. The headlines had made Dick sick: "BATMAN – HERO OR PERPETRATOR?"

As sensationalist as these articles were, they had a point. Dick had tried to talk to Bruce. Hell. Even Alfred could not get through his thick skull.

Dick felt a sense of gloom over Gotham which feared a Batman who had lost his Robin.

Bruce had always walked along the line of darkness. He balanced on it like a tightrope and Dick hoped that the line wouldn't snap this time. He couldn't lose another guardian. If Bruce did not regain control over himself, Dick would have to stop him. He would have to save Batman from himself. None of them wanted this.

The dot had stopped and lingered over a warehouse near the water. Bruce had reached his destination. Hopefully, Dick would get to him in time.

After a few minutes, he stopped his motorcycle in front of the building. The stink of the Gotham harbor hung in the air. Dick sighed. Why did it always have to be so cliché? He pulled out his grapple gun aiming to approach via roof. Covert – as he had been taught.

Screams of rage and insane laughter made him halt. He was too late. Bruce had already lost it.

He thought about calling in the Team as backup. But the thought of his friends seeing Bruce like that made his stomach clench. He would try on his own. Bruce deserved this much.

"Shit", Nightwing cursed - forfeiting all pretenses of covert operation.

He pulled out his escrima sticks and opened the metal door. The scene was bad. Completely disastrous. Heavy on the dis-.

Dozens of the Joker's henchmen laid on the floor blood pooling around them. Some of them whimpered in pain, others didn't move at all. Had Bruce already broken his golden rule?

Wooden crates littered the floor some of them bust open. Joker cards had flown around the room most of them coated in blood. The maniac had definitely been planning something when Batman had found him.

They were in the center. Joker was writhing on the floor laughing insanely. Bruce kept hitting him and there was no sign of stopping. It made Dick shiver.

"Yes, Batsy. KILL ME. IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER", more laughing.

Bruce beat harder in response. The Joker's rips cracked.

Dick shoved Batman away: "Don't let him bait you. You are only giving him what he wants."

"Keep out of this."

Bruce's expression was terrifying. He had not shaved in days giving him an unkept look. Dick couldn't see his eyes behind the cowl but they must have been burning with rage.

Nightwing put his escrima sticks back stepping in front of the Joker. He had to tread carefully if he wanted Bruce to see reason: "Remember what you told me when I tried to kill Zucco?"

Bruce growled trying to get around him. Joker had – thankfully – shut up.

"You told me that he wasn't worth it. That I would throw away everything I was for a bastard like him."

Bruce seemed to calm down. His fists were still clenched but he actually looked at Dick. Nightwing stepped closer: "You taught me that revenge wasn't the answer."

Bruce's fists started to relax and Dick started to breathe again. It would be fine. Bruce would-

Joker laughed maniacally: "Nice speech. Our little Robin was always the sentimental one. The second one was less fun. So cynical. But he cried when I bashed all his teeth in. I wonder if your golden boy will, too."

Dick winced. Jason had died all alone. The thought of his little brother losing all hope was heartbreaking.

"DON'T TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT", Bruce clenched his fists again.

He lunged at Joker shoving Dick aside in the process. Talking wouldn't help. Now he could only keep Bruce away by force. And Nightwing knew that he had no chance against an enraged Batman.

Not as a 16-year-old who still was way too scrawny for his liking.

He had to call in the big guns.

"I'm sorry, B", he activated his wrist computer.

"Watchtower?", it was Flash.

Bruce had started kicking the Joker again. How much endurance did this freaking clown have?

Dick pulled out his Escrimas and aimed at Bruce's leg. He hoped for a quick, clean break that would incacipate him. Bruce evaded the hit and turned his attention to Dick. The betrayal was apparent even from under his cowl.

"What are you doing?", Bruce growled.

"Keeping you from making a mistake."

"You are keeping me from avenging Robin. It all makes sense. You were always jealous of him."

Dick weighed his options. He wouldn't be able to talk Bruce down. His only option was to make Bruce enraged at him until backup arrived.

"You think you are doing this for Robin?", Dick chuckled, "No. He is just your justification for letting the psychopath out."

Bruce aimed a kick at Dick's head which he evaded with a cartwheel.

"Nightwing here. I need backup immediately", Dick tried to evade Bruce's fists but one of them managed to hit his chest. The pain told him that at least one of his ribs was cracked. He grappled to the ceiling balancing on the metal beams and gaining ground. Bruce followed. At least they fought on Nightwing's turf now.

"Are you OK? Which threat?", Barry talked with his usual speed.

"Batman is trying to kill the Joker. I managed to distract him but I don't know how long."

"Shit", Barry cursed, "Hold on tight 'Wing. I'm coming with some heavy-hitters."

"And some doctors, too", Nightwing flipped from beam to beam evading Bruce's attacks, "B left quite some carnage."

"You called the League on me?", Bruce pulled out a Batarang and aimed it at Dick's head.

Nightwing was forced to duck losing some of his balance in the process. His stomach clenched.

His parents had been lower when they fell.

"I'm sorry, B but you need to see sense", Nightwing jumped to the next beam.

He was getting desperate. Bruce was gaining on him. And Dick's injured rib was burning. Maybe it was broken rather than cracked.

Joker still laid on the floor laughing like a maniac: "I thought killing Robin was the punchline but this is even better. Batman is killing his birdie all by himself."

Bruce looked down aiming to return to the Joker but Dick wouldn't let him. He needed to get Bruce's attention back on him. And he would have to play dirty to do so.

"You are pathetic, B", he felt like a traitor, "Your parents would think so. See what you did to all these people."

"DON'T YOU DARE", Bruce hadn't been playing around before but this time it was bad.

He landed next to Dick on the beam and rained his fists down on him. Dick managed to block half of them. He hissed in pain and tried to flip over Bruce's head. But Batman gripped his leg and slammed him on the beam. Dick felt more of his ribs break. Tears filled his eyes from pain and exhaustion.

"Please, B", he knew that it was over.

He couldn't win against Bruce who was standing over him with a Batarang. He had never seen his guardian like this. The guilt and sorrow of losing Jason had torn him apart. And Dick was barely keeping it together himself.

"I can't lose you, too", Dick's voice broke.

"It's my fault. If I had been quicker-"

"It wasn't your fault, B but the Joker's. Even now he is manipulating you and you're letting him."

Bruce lowered the Batarang and looked down at Dick: "I'm sorry but you can't stop me. I should have never done this to you."

Even through the cowl Dick could feel the regret in Bruce's eyes. Without the adrenalin he noticed a pain in his head. His consciousness slipped away. Bruce had gotten him pretty hard.

"B?", his voice was slurred, "I can't-"

He was still lying on this cold metal beam far too high up. And too beaten down to climb down himself.

"I'm sorry", Bruce grappled down, "I have to finish what I started."

Dick had failed. His eyes drifted shut as his body gave up. He sank to the side losing contact with the metal holding him. Falling. Always falling.

The door burst open. The last thing Dick felt was that someone caught him. He forced his eyes open looking into Clark's concerned gaze.

"I got you, kid", Clark flew down, "Don't worry. We are taking it from here. You did good."

**AN****: This is the first part of a multi-chapter story. I plan to upload every Saturday. The chapters will have many different point-of-views from members of the Team and the Justice League. Seeing what many different characters think about events is always interesting to me in fanfictions. **

**I hope you liked this first chapter. I would appreciate a comment if you did – even if you didn't. Constructive criticism is always helpful.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** **A huge thank you to everyone who has faved or followed this story! It always makes me very happy to see.**

**Sunshine-Midnight123: A special shout out to you for that nice comment. I'm glad that you enjoyed the first chapter and I hope you will like this one as well. We're moving into some League politics now.**

**2\. Dinah**

The whole Justice League had gathered around the table sitting in tense silence. Dinah was plagued by the images of the warehouse. Blood everywhere. Batman in pure rage beating the Joker not noticing that Dick had almost fallen to his death. If Clark hadn't been part of the backup team...

She didn't want to think about it.

After a heated fight, the League had managed to sedate Batman. They had provided first aid to the Joker's goons – some of them in critical condition – and called the police. During this whole fiasco Clark had never let go of Nightwing holding him as if he was his own son. Seeing Dick like this always got to the League. They all had seen the Team grow up. And especially Dick as the first and youngest sidekick had gotten close to them.

The Team still didn't know about the news. Dinah sighed. After this meeting she would visit Mount Justice. Zatanna and Rocket would probably join her. The sorceress was especially distraught. She wiped her tears away. Her and Dick had been a couple until only a few months ago. They had broken it off in friendship when Zatanna had joined the League. (Dinah learned a lot during her therapy sessions with the Team.) This whole situation was such a mess.

Wonder Woman was the last to enter the room. She had tended to some diplomatic matters on Themyscira. The Amazon looked furious. Her glare wandered to the empty seat next to Clark where Bruce usually sat.

"Where is he?", she asked.

"He is in a cell in the Watchtower", Dinah tried to keep her voice calm.

Wonder Woman turned around but before she could leave the room, Clark blocked her way: "Please Diana. Don't lose yourself to rage like Bruce did."

This seemed to calm down the Amazon. She balled her fists and sat down next to Dinah.

Clark visibly took a deep breath. He had brought Dick to the infirmary and had stayed there for hours. Dinah had also entered the room and seen Dick lying in the bed - his mask taken off.

It reminded her of how young the kid was. It was easy to forget as Nightwing was one of the most capable heroes she knew.

He had seemed so small. Bruises had littered his face and some of his rips had been broken. It was not the worst injury he had ever sustained but it would keep him out of commission for weeks. And to think that Bruce had done this to him was horrifying.

"How is the kid?", Aquaman asked.

Clark sighed: "He has three broken rips and two cracked ones. And a concussion."

"It's clear", Diana said, "Batman should be fired from the ranks of the League."

"Let's not get hasty", Oliver answered, "Bruce went through some heavy trauma. Everyone would crack after that."

"I'm not sure if we should fire him", Barry – one of Bruce's closest friends spoke up, "But he definitely needs to be punished. He hurt a 16-year old kid. His own son."

Silence.

"Bruce was trying to kill the Joker", Clark said, "For what he did to Jason. I've never seen him like this."

More silence.

"He was more terrifying than usual", Captain Marvel who had been part of the team sent to the warehouse shuddered, "And he is already pretty terrifying."

Clark sighed: "Has any of us ever tried to talk to him?"

"Nightwing did", Zatanna spoke up, "Dick was quite upset after Jason's dead. But he still tried to get through to Bruce."

Flash looked at his hands: "We should have tried more ourselves. Bruce is a leaguer and our responsibility. We should not force a 16-year old kid to deal with him."

"I wouldn't call Nightwing a normal 16-year old kid", Green Arrow said, "He knows the risk and he knew exactly what he was doing when he distracted Bruce from the Joker."

"Still a child", Diana said, "I have shown concerns towards Bruce recruiting Dick so young before but this time he has crossed a line. I won't work together with a man who consciously harms a child. And I won't work together with a group of people that protects said man."

Silence followed Diana's words. Clark looked helpless. Dinah felt with him. He was caught between his two best friends. One had lost his principles while the other held onto them with an iron grip.

"Batman is a danger to the order of the Justice League", Doctor Fate spoke up.

Dinah resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was always the same with this guy.

Oliver felt no support for his position. He laid his hand on Dinah's and looked at her: "What do you think?"

He clearly hoped that she would agree with him.

Dinah tried to be diplomatic when she said: "Bruce is not in a position to work with the Justice League right now. I'm not in favor of permanently firing him. However, we should show him his boundaries and offer him the support he needs. Until he gets better he shouldn't work neither in Gotham nor with the League. And-", Dinah took a deep breath, "He clearly should never work with the Team again."

Clark seemed deep in thought. He looked at a bloody spot on his sleeve. Probably Dick's blood.

"I agree with BC", Captain Marvel practically yelled, "She's knows her stuff."

It would be cute if the situation wasn't so tense.

Flash looked at Dinah: "I also agree with Black Canary. Bruce made a fatal mistake. But we have to find a middle way between punishing him and giving him the support he needs."

Diana shook her head: "This man has lost all rights to support after he abused his child. If the League does not fire him permanently, I'm out."

"Diana", Clark said, "Please think about this."

"I won't, Clark", hurt showed in Diana's eyes, "Peace and compassion are the Amazon way. We fight in the name of love. And Batman violated these principles. Dick would have died if you hadn't saved him."

Oliver snorted: "How many people have you killed in the name of love, Wonder Woman? You are one of a few Leaguers who doesn't shy away from murder. Bruce almost crosses the line one time and you hypocrite condemn him for it."

Diana balled her fist: "I would never hurt an innocent child. If I kill, I do it with honor – like a proper warrior does."

Zatanna spoke up. Her voice trembled: "I think we should not fire Bruce. It would break Dick's heart. He would never want this for his father."

Clark sighed again: "We should vote. Who is in favor of permanently firing Batman?"

Diana, John Stewart and Doctor Fate showed up. The Amazon growled when she saw how little support she had.

"Who is in favor of not punishing Batman at all?"

Oliver, Hal Jordan and the Hawks showed up. And to Dinah's surprise also Zatanna.

Diana glared at Hal. He shrugged: "Bruce may be an asshole a lot of times but he gets results."

"It's about principle", Diana replied.

"Principle doesn't keep the universe safe."

"But without principle the Corps wouldn't be better than its enemies", John Stewart looked at his fellow Lantern.

Hal crossed his arms in response.

"So", Oliver leaned back, "It's settled. More people in favor of keeping him."

"Not so quick, Ollie", Dinah said, "There is a third way."

Clark nodded: "Who is in favor of Dinah's proposal?"

The rest of the League showed up.

"It's official. I'm resigning from the Justice League", Diana looked regretful, "It was an honor to work with you but I'm afraid that I can't continue this partnership."

"Diana, please", Clark still tried to convince her.

Diana shook her head.

"We respect your decision", Martian Manhunter said, "Even though we hate to see you go. You've always been close to Nightwing."

"I want to see him before I go", the Amazon said.

Zatanna stood up: "I'd like to come with you."

She was still shaken. Her eyes were rimmed red. Diana laid a hand on her shoulder on the way out.

Rocket also stood up and joined her friend. She said something to Zatanna that Dinah couldn't understand. Clark waited until their steps subsided, then he slumped down in his seat.

"I'm also leaving", Dinah sighed, "The Team deserves to know the truth."

Apparently Zatanna and Rocket wouldn't join her after all.

Barry appeared next to her: "Care for backup?"

"I'm going to need everything I can get."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thanks so much to everyone who commented, liked and followed. It makes me very happy that people like this story (and the League politics).**

**jthm7izim: ¡Muchas gracias para tu comentario interesante! Pienso que Bruce puede ser un poco antipático porque siempre se concentra en la misión. Es una obsesión peligra pero es una de las razones su carácter es tan interesante. (Utilizo esta oportunidad para practicar mi español un poco.)**

**Enough said. We are getting a longer chapter with Wally and the team now. You can expect another chapter out of his perspective down the line because his friendship with Dick gives me life.**

3\. Wally

Wally was impatient. The team (minus Rob) were waiting in the mission room after Black Canary had called them. He used this opportunity to try to vibrate his molecules through a piece of paper. Wally held it in one hand and tried to move the other hand. Barry had been trying to teach him for months – without success.

After nearly half an hour of trying Artemis took the paper and ripped it in half: "See. You did it. Hooray."

"You could be more supportive, babe."

"I would be more supportive if it wouldn't get on my nerves", she crossed her arms, "And if this wouldn't feel so strange. Where is Nightwing? And why didn't Batman call us for the mission?"

Wally silently agreed with her. She was cute when she was grumpy like that.

Black Canary's arrival ripped him out of his thoughts. She seemed concerned and was for some reaon accompanied by his uncle?

"Where's Rob?", Wally asked.

He would never get used to his best friend's new identity.

"Maybe _Nightwing-_", Artemis stressed his name, "-is helping Batman in Gotham. I heard that the Joker broke out for the 100th time."

"It is more serious than that I'm afraid", BC said.

Wally frowned: "What is going on, Barry?"

His uncle shook his head.

"Did something happen to Rob?"

"We should talk in the common room", BC sighed, "But Nightwing is not in immediate danger."

The Team sat down on the couch while Dinah and Barry pulled chairs closer. The setting reminded Wally of the scene when they had heard the news about Jason. Dick had also been absent then. Wally swallowed. His best friend really went through a lot.

Even Bruce had not been the same in the last few months. Dick had become increasingly desperate.

"_I don't know what to do, Walls. He beat some thug in a coma yesterday. I tried to pull him away but I-"_

_Dick bit his lip looking at Wally for guidance. They were talking in Wally's room over a new video game. Dick's heart had not been in it. The ex-Robin had lost a dozen times to Wally – unusual for someone as competitive as him._

"_I can't stand it in the manor anymore. Bruce is always in costume and always in the Batcave. He snaps at everyone who tries to get him out of it. Jay's bloody costume is exhibited in a fricking glass case. Even Alfred is upset. He burned dinner yesterday. Alfred never burns dinner."_

"_I'm sorry", Wally was overwhelmed just from hearing about this stuff._

_Dick's guardian was slipping away before his eyes and there was nothing he could do._

_Wally hesitated: "Maybe it's better if you leave."_

_"Leave?"_

"_The manor clearly isn't home anymore, is it?"_

_Dick hesitated. He lowered his eyes: "No."_

"_You could leave for college, you little genius."_

_Dick had moved up some classes so that he had graduated the same year as Wally._

"_Maybe", Dick looked up and plastered on a smile, "I'll beat you this time."_

Wally wondered if it had been the right advice to effectively tell Dick to run. His best friend had still taken it – moving to Blüdhaven a few months later. Had Bruce ever visited him there?

He snapped out of his musings when Artemis took his hand. He smiled at her. They loved to bicker but they were always there for each other when it counted.

"You all know that Batman has not been himself lately", BC said.

Superboy frowned: "He scowled at every small mistake we made – especially Dick. Saying how it could get us killed."

"Batman tried to kill the Joker in a warehouse in Gotham today", BC said, "Nightwing distracted him and managed to keep him away from the Joker until the League sent reinforcements."

Black Canary did not say it explicitly but they could all imagine what Nightwing distracting an enraged Batman meant.

M'gann had tears in her eyes: "Is Dick OK?"

Barry told them that Dick had almost fallen from the beam only alive because of Superman.

"We need to see him", Wally stood up.

He vibrated out of agitation.

"He is still resting", Barry said, "He will probably want to be discharged tomorrow so you can see him then."

M'gann was fully crying now: "How could Batman do this to him?"

"He's an asshole, that's why", Connor balled his fists.

"No", Artemis shook her head, "He lost his Robin. Every Gothamite knows that Batman needs a Robin to keep him in check."

They looked up when the automated voice echoed through the room announcing Superman and Nightwing. Immediately the team jumped off the couch. M'gann flew over to the portal, Wally on her heels.

Dick wore clothes that were clearly far too big for him. And he looked like – well - as if Batman had used him as a punching bag.

"Is that Ollie's shirt?", BC asked.

She blushed when Barry grinned at her: "You know Green Arrow's clothes quite well."

"Stop teasing BC, Uncle B", Dick forced a smile.

"You shouldn't be here, kid."

"You know me. I don't stay in one place too long."

Wally raced to him looking his best friend over: "Dude, you look like shit."

Dick's forced smile grew wider: "I'm fine. It isn't even that bad. Where's Bruce? Supey doesn't want to tell."

"With good reason", Clark said, "You are in no position to see him right now."

Dick's shoulders were tense: "Bruce didn't mean it like that. It's not like he wanted to kill me."

Wally led Dick to the couch. The rest of the Team followed. The silence was unbearable.

"I can walk, dude", Dick shrugged Wally's arm off, "Thank you for worrying but you really don't have to."

BC and Barry exchanged a worried glance. Wally shared their sentiment. His best friend was clearly doing what he always did: Burying his feelings in a pit deeper than the Batcave.

"So where is B?", Dick asked.

"In a cell in the Watchtower", Superman said.

"What?", Dick was startled.

He tried to stand up and hissed in pain in response. Clutching his ribs: "You can't do that."

"He is a danger to himself and others right now", Clark said.

"Really dude", Wally sat on Dick's side, "Look what he did to you."

"He hits me during sparring sometimes. I'm used to Bruce's punches."

"This was not a training fight", BC said.

Connor looked furious: "He almost killed you."

Dick slumped into the cushions. He lowered his gaze but Wally could see the glint in the eyes of his best friend.

"What will happen to him?", Dick's voice was rough.

Black Canary sat down across from him: "He will be temporarily suspended from the League until his condition has improved and permanently banned from interacting with the Team."

Wally didn't know what to say.

"But Batman is one of the core founders", Artemis said.

"We can't trust him with young heroes as he has clearly shown", BC looked hesitant.

Dick stood up: "That's not true. He- You don't know him like I do. Bruce is great with kids. He's a good guardian. The best. And you can't say these things about him."

"Dick", Black Canary called after him.

But Dick limped to his room: "I shouldn't have called the League. You are only making it worse."

With this he vanished.

"Why is he defending this asshole?", Connor balled his fists.

"Bruce saved him", Wally said, "Remember how close they were when we made the team? They played basketball together and shit."

"He would be dead if he hadn't called us", Barry said, "I can't get his voice out of my head. He sounded so panicked. I've never heard him like this."

"Takes a lot to shake him", Artemis said.

Wally knew that she had always respected this about him. 'Get traught or get dead.'

"Remember the failsafe mission? It was almost scary how calm he was", Wally said.

"He clearly did the right thing. He would be dead if he hadn't called us", Clark's gaze softened, "It may sound corny but I can only urge you to call if you need backup. The League is always there for you."

"Thanks, Superman", Kaldur said, "We appreciate this."

"So who's gonna talk to Rob?", Wally asked.

"No one", BC said, "He needs some time to cool down. But I would encourage you to try to get him to open up. I doubt that he will talk to any Leaguer."

"I'll see him tomorrow", Wally bit his lip.

* * *

Wally needed until noon to gather his courage and talk to Dick. He knocked on the metal door but was met with silence.

"Come on, Rob. Let me in."

Silence. Maybe he could try break the lock? If he asked Connor- Who was he kidding? You did not just crash into a Bat's room. Who knew which kind of traps Dick had planted there?

So Wally did what he did best: Annoy people.

He knocked against Dick's door with superspeed. After at least half an hour of knocking a red-faced Rob ripped open his door: "I get it, Walls. You can stop now. Can't you just leave?"

"Not when you're moping. It's my job as your certified bro to pull you out of it."

"Just get in", Dick closed the door behind Wally.

Rob tried to hide his pain but the speedster could see how he gritted his teeth.

"You taking your meds?", Wally asked.

"I need to keep a clear head for Bruce. To convince the League to let him out."

Wally kept silent while Dick lowered himself on the bed – movements more stiff than usual.

"You are on their side, aren't you?", Dick asked without looking at him.

"I'm on your side, bro. I only want what's best for you."

"And that means?"

Wally sighed and sat next to his friend: "You know I have mad respect for B? But you said it best: He is not himself at the moment."

Dick bit his lip.

"He needs help. Look what he did to you."

"It was an accident. I provoked him."

"You hear yourself talk, Rob? You're making excuses."

Dick stayed silent.

"Bruce is your Dad. He should never hurt you under any circumstances."

"He is not my Dad", Dick's eyes wandered to the 'Flying Graysons' poster.

"Tell yourself that. He raised you, Rob."

"B was always complicated. He always demands so much and I couldn't keep it up anymore after Jay. I was sloppy. No wonder he was angry."

Wally remembered the mistakes Dick had made after Robin's death. Little things like overlooking a thug or forgetting to deactivate a motion sensor. But little things quickly added up in their business especially for a superhero without powers. The Team had had some close calls – but none of them had dared to pick on the guy who had lost his little brother. Bruce had been another story. He had suspended Nightwing several times and even threatened to throw him off the Team if he didn't pull himself together.

"Still not your fault, Bro. Maybe Bruce couldn't keep up with you for a change."

"I need to see him."

"They won't allow it."

Dick crossed his arms.

"Come on, dude. Quit moping", Wally gripped his hand, "M'Gann made cookies just to make you feel better and think about how sad she will be if you don't eat them."

"Not fair, Walls. No one can stand to make M'Gann sad."

"You want to be the first one to do so?"

Dick reluctantly stood up following Wally out of the room like a grumpy shadow.

"We can even watch one of these Musicals you love so much."

Rob blushed: "I don't love them. The DVDs were for Barbara."

"Sure. Circus boy. Last time I checked Barbara was more of a Crime person."

"The choreographies are very impressive and intricate. It's art, Wally."

The speedster grinned when he noticed that his Bro was lighting up. Nothing that some teasing couldn't fix.

The Team was in the kitchen where M'Gann wrote "Get better"-messages on her cookies in rainbow colors. There was silence when they entered. Wally shared a glance with Artemis. He knew her well enough to see the worry in her eyes. They all felt bad for Rob.

"No big thing, guys", Dick sat on one of the stools holding his ribs in the process, "Just keep going on."

M'Gann floated towards him and gently hugged him: "Of course it's a big thing. We missed you."

"It was less asterous without you", there was a small grin on Connor's usual stoic face.

Wally internally patted himself on the shoulder when he saw Dick lighten up. Take that, Roy. He knew why _he_ was Dick's bestie.

Rob took a cookie and gave a thumbs up to M'Gann: "They're great. Thank you, Ms. M. I heard that Wally wants to watch a Musical."

"Does he?", Artemis seemed amused.

"He practically begged me for it."

"Well, we can't deny _Wally's_ wish can we?", she said.

And so they ended up on the couch watching one cheesy Musical - that Wally didn't know the name of - after another. M'Gann and Dick were the only people to thoroughly enjoy them – while the latter cracked jokes about how cheesy they were to hide his wide grin. But it was fine. The Team needed a break after what had happened.

He was holding hands with Artemis. She leaned over to him and whispered in his ear: "You're a great friend, you know that?"

"Of course, I know."

"And here I thought you became more mature after all these years."

She snuggled into him and Wally laid his arm around her shoulder. He would enjoy this little break.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I can only keep thanking everyone who has reviewed, faved or followed this story. You guys are amazing. :)**

**Today I have a surprise as I am doing not a double- but a triple-upload. You're getting three shorter chapters. In the first one, we are catching up with Barbara and our favorite butler – who is now miserable thanks to my mingling.**

4\. Barbara

She feared that something was up with Dick - something other than his usual stick. Yes, she knew about his nightly work. The constant injuries. The dark circles under his eyes. A new Robin popping up after Bruce had adopted Jason? And – tragically – Jason's death coinciding with Robin's disappearance? It was too obvious for Barbara not to pick up on.

She had never told Dick but behind his back she had started to cover for him in school – especially after Jason's death. He had seemed to be under constant pressure and she feared that he had finally snapped.

She looked at her phone and at all the messages she had sent to Boy Wonder. No answer. His apartment in Blüdhaven was also deserted. So she did the next best thing – visit Wayne Manor herself.

Alfred ripped open the door when she rang the doorbell and visibly deflated. It was concerning to see such a reaction from the trusted family butler.

"Ms. Gordon. It is a pleasure to see you but I am the only one here. Master Bruce is on a business trip in Dubai and Master Dick is not here."

He certainly had hoped for someone other than her.

"I'm worried about Dick", Barbara said.

"That makes two of us, Ms. Gordon. Please, step in."

The manor had always been squeaky clean but this time Alfred had outdone himself. No single freckle of dust was visible. Her stomach clenched for the butler. Something clearly was ripping the Wayne family apart.

"I know about Batman, Robin, Nightwing. All of it", Barbara said.

Alfred did not seem fazed: "I suspected so, Ms. Gordon. You have always been a bright, young Lady – a trait that Master Dick values greatly in you."

"Batman hasn't been seen in days", Barbara said.

"I believe that he will not be in the foreseeable future", Alfred said, "It pains me to say this but Master Bruce has overstepped a line."

"Batman has been more aggressive since Robin's disappearance."

Alfred stayed silent.

"What happened, Alfred?"

The butler sighed: "This is a conversation to be had over tea."

Barbara frowned but she sat down on the couch. The painting of Bruce's parents seemed to stare down at her. What had Bruce done that made Alfred of all people upset?

Barbara's phone buzzed. She took it out – aiming to silence it. Then she saw the messages.

"Alfred", she jumped off the couch, "You will want to see this."

The butler returned with a tray of tea.

"There is a video circulating. Of Batman, the Joker and Nightwing."

"Oh dear", the tray trembled in Alfred's hands.


	5. Chapter 5

5\. Connor

The Team had spent the last few days in the mountain playing air hockey, eating cookies and mostly watching TV. No one wanted to think about the cape-business right now. Not when the situation with Batman was still unsolved.

Connor felt pure rage at the man. Dick would always be the youngest in their core team (if you didn't count Connor's technical age) and as the strong-guy of the group, Connor had started to feel responsible for his teammates – and especially Robin. It hadn't changed with him becoming Nightwing. If Connor saw Batman, he wouldn't be able to control himself.

They were watching some Reality-TV show that Artemis and M'Gann liked when a newsflash interrupted the programming:

* * *

"NEW FOOTAGE SHOWS: BATMAN IS A TYRANT"

* * *

Connor balled his fists. The rest of the team also stared intently at the monitor. Even Wally - who had tried to vibrate his food through the coffee table – halted.

"We should watch something different", Kaldur said.

"No", Dick's face stayed blank.

But Connor could hear his racing heartbeat.

A blonde reporter with an alarmed look on her face appeared on screen: "Is Batman a criminal? Many times we have asked us this question and collectively decided that his good deeds warranted his methods. This time we have evidence that points in a different direction. An anonymous source sent us a disturbing video that shows Batman trying to kill the Joker with Nightwing bravely attempting to stop him. What happens afterwards you can see now. But be warned: Viewer discretion is advised."

"We really should change the channel", Kaldur reached for the remote.

But Dick shook his head: "I need to see it."

The Team exchanged glances and M'Gann opened a mindlink excluding Dick.

"Shouldn't we stop him from seeing it? It must be traumatic", M'Gann.

"Can't keep Rob from doing anything. His head is so hard. No wonder he takes all these beatings", Wally.

"I still don't like it", Kaldur.

"We don't have to like it. We just have to support him through it", Artemis.

"Agreed. And aren't you at least a little curious?", Connor.

The silence was answer enough. If Dick noticed their conversation, he didn't say anything – again showing how much this situation weighed him down.

The footage was surprisingly high quality (Connor knew static well enough to recognize quality). He did not have to be the world's greatest detective to know how suspicious this was. It captured every little grunt and whimper.

Connor could feel the shock of his teammates over the mindlink. They had excluded Dick.

"Why is he so calm?", M'Gann asked.

It was unnerving how detached Dick seemed. He looked at the TV and occasionally typed away on his wrist computer seemingly analyzing something.

M'Gann received no answer.

The fight on the screen became more vicious on Batman's side. Connor felt ashamed when he recognized this rage of just wanting to punch something – not caring who your target was. He had hurt enough people but never his team – never his family.

M'Gann flinched at an especially vicious punch to Dick's face. Connor laid his arm around her shoulders. He was a changed man. And he would prove that over and over if he had to. This video showed him again why he fought against his rage every day.

Connor needed a second to register that the footage had ended. Why were they even allowed to show it? He couldn't even imagine how it felt to have your issues laid out on national television.

"The rest of the video shows how the Justice League subdues Batman and offers first-aid to Batman's victims", the reporter said, "Batman has not been seen since and Nightwing's condition is still an open question. But it is strongly suggested that he has unfortunately passed away. Multiple sources - who wish to remain anonymous - have informed us of this tragedy. May he rest in peace."

"I'm fine", Dick crossed his arms, "Thanks very much, news lady."

The Team exchanged worried glances.

"The question remains if Batman can be trusted. If he is willing to kill his protegee – who is apparently his son as this footage reveals – can we, the general public, be safe? Superman has announced a League press conference tomorrow to answer this question. One thing is clear", news lady smiled sweetly, "There is definitely some interesting drama going on between Gotham's vigilantes-"

Rage boiled inside of Connor. He couldn't stand this sensationalist bullshit anymore. Connor took the remote and threw it at the TV - ending the broadcast. They should never have been allowed to show the video at all.

And this false empathy made him sick. Newslady could be glad that Dick had survived. Otherwise Connor would pay her a visit- (No. He was a changed man.)

There was silence for a few endless moments. Then Dick stood up.

"Where are you going?", Kaldur asked.

"I have to talk to the Justice League", he left the room presumably to go to his quarters.

"And he's off brooding again", Wally looked at Connor, "You okay, Supey?"

"I'm fine", Connor tried to open his fists but was not able to, "Remind me to punch Batman in the face next time I see him."

"Wouldn't do that. The dude is scary", Wally zipped away and appeared behind the kitchen counter shoving cookies in his mouth, "All this drama has made me hungry."

"We need a plan", Artemis said, "How are we supposed to deal with this? You know Dick. He will never let this go."

"There's not much we can do", Kaldur sighed, "We'll just wait for the fallout and pick up the pieces.  
One thing is clear: The Justice League is divided. We can't let the same happen to us."


	6. Chapter 6

6\. Clark

Clark sighed. The League had gathered for the fifth time in a few days and all their meetings had ended in chaos. Diana had left the team. Hal passionately defended Batman to the ire of his fellow Lantern. Clark was pretty sure that Dinah and Ollie had broken up over this issue. At least they weren't talking to each other.

The whole League was emotionally compromised. Normally Bruce would glare at them until they were back on track. But that was difficult when Bruce was the reason for this disaster.

At the moment Dinah was talking about the psych evaluation she had done on Bruce: "I can't get a reaction out of him. He hasn't spoken since the incident."

"Has he shown remorse?", Clark asked.

"I can't tell. No one hides his emotions better than Batman."

"I can agree to that, BC", a – still very bruised – face appeared on the monitor on the wall.

"How long have you been listening, Dick?", Clark asked.

"Maybe from the point on when Hal almost started a ring fight with John. Or earlier."

In the background, Clark could see his room in Mount Justice. The Flying Grayson's poster. The Superman poster. (Clark and Bruce had always had a little rivalry over who was Dick's favorite superhero.)

"How did you get in here?"

"Please", Dick said, "I've been hacking this since I was twelve. Ever wonder why Bruce made so many security updates?"

This was getting worse and worse. Clark would take fighting Doomsday over dealing with a distraught Justice League and a stubborn Dick Grayson.

Dick's gaze softened: "How is Bruce?"

"He's fine", Clark said, "Not talking but he's eating and sleeping."

"So he's better than he has been in months."

"How are _you_ doing, Dick?", Zatanna asked.

They exchanged a glance that only people with a rich history could share: "I'm fine, Zee. Don't worry about me. I would be even better if I could see Bruce."

"This is not a good idea", Clark said.

"Come on, Supey. You don't think Bruce would try anything?"

"I'm worried what you would try."

"Me? Trying anything? Don't you know me at all?"

"I think we should let them talk to each other. Under supervision", Dinah said, "It could help Bruce open up."

Barry shook his head: "We shouldn't be thinking about Bruce here but about Nightwing's safety."

"I can watch out for myself."

Barry shook his head: "We know that but you are a kid. Bruce is your guardian."

"Come on, Barry. Don't pull the kid-card."

"Wally and me talk. What he said didn't sound good."

Dick sighed: "Look, I appreciate the concern but you don't have to worry about me. It's a thing between Bruce and me and I'm sorry that I pulled you into it."

"We can't let you see him", Clark said.

"And if I say please?", Dick looked at him with wide eyes.

It was the same gaze that a young Robin had used when he wanted Clark to let him jump off a building for fun. (Come on, Supey. You always catch me, don't you?) Clark had never been able to resist. Dick looked so sad. Maybe Clark should- No. Not this time.

"Neither you or Bruce are in a condition for a visit right now."

Dick narrowed his gaze: "You know you can't stop me? You are just making it harder for me."

It was almost scary how quick his cute demeanor vanished for a bat-glare.

"Still no. The League is holding a conference tomorrow. We are announcing Batman's suspension for an unknown amount of time. He won't return to Gotham anytime soon. And it is better like this", Clark walked closer to the monitor, "You said it yourself, Dick. Bruce has not been himself. It is better for everyone to bench Batman until further notice."

Dick bit his lip. He seemed to hesitate: "Not for Gotham. Without Batman it's a pit of hell."

Clark sighed: "It will have to survive for a few months."

"Don't you understand that you are doing exactly what they want?"

"Who?"

"I imagine you watched that video very carefully. That wasn't any recording. Someone planned this. They probably wanted to film Batman killing the Joker. Ruining his public image and the League with it."

"And who do you think this is?", Clark asked.

He had a bad feeling in his gut. Dick was onto something.

"Who has the means to plan something as elaborate as this? Who has the technology?

Who has sent the Joker forward as their distraction in the past?"

"The Light", J'on said, "It would make sense."

Thoughts were running through Clark's head. It would fit the M.O. of the organization and especially one of a certain bald super-genius.

"We will investigate this", Clark said.

"See? You are just wasting your time persecuting Bruce. You are playing into their hands."

"Bruce crossed a line. He shouldn't have been manipulated by the Light in the first place", Dinah said, "He should have better self-control."

"Bruce has always been a master of self-control. He makes a mistake one time and you are dropping him for it?"

"See?", Hal stood up, "You are saying exactly what I think, kid."

Voices of protest were heard. After a few seconds the elite protectors of earth bickered like teenagers.

Clark ran a hand over his face and looked at Dick. The teen shrugged and even seemed amused.

"Nightwing out", he ended the transmission leaving them to a black screen.

Barry turned to Clark: "The kid has always been a troll. It's even worse when he and Wally enable each other."

Clark frowned and wondered why Barry was comparing Dick to a magical creature. Was he getting old?


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Another two-chapter upload this week but next week we are returning to regular uploads and see a bit more of Bruce. Exciting things are coming. **

**This chapter should be especially interesting to fans of the 2003 Teen Titans cartoon. I took some inspiration from this masterpiece of animation.**

7\. Artemis

Artemis stood on a vantage point overlooking Gotham's bleak cityscape. She had taken it upon herself to keep order now that Batman and Nightwing were out of commission. It was worse than expected. In four hours she had stopped numerous low-level muggings, Penguin's thugs robbing a bank and Poison Ivy releasing a toxin only harmful to humans into Gotham's water supply. ("Think about how beautiful this world could be without humans destroying it!")

Her muscles ached but she couldn't stop. Gotham was even more of a wasteland than it usually was.

Now it was quiet. Suspiciously so. But Artemis didn't complain. She sat on the ledge of a building and looked down at the deserted streets. Gotham's inhabitants didn't dare to go out at night without their protector looking over them. The height made her a bit sick to be honest.

As an archer she was used to long-range attacks and this involved finding vantage points. But she had never loved being high up when she could avoid it. Artemis was a survivor foremost and she didn't get a kick out of unnecessary risk – unlike a certain gravity-defying bird.

Without warning a blade appeared at her throat. She froze. Someone was standing behind her. She could hear his breath. Her hand flew to her bow.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you", a dark voice said.

Deathstroke.

The blade vanished but the warning remained. Artemis turned around. She couldn't see his mouth under the mask. But she could practically feel his arrogant smirk.

"It is cute that you believe that you can protect Gotham by yourself. You are a third-rate hero just as your father is a third-rate assassin."

"What do you want, Deathstroke? It isn't like you to play with your food", Artemis moved into a fighting stance.

"I'm doing you a civil service", Deathstroke said, "You are in contact with a certain birdie." 

"What do you want from Nightwing?"

Dick and Deathstroke had something of a history. The assassin had repeatedly tried to recruit Robin due to his potential.

"The same as always", Slade scrubbed a peck of dirt from his blade, "I'm still looking for an apprentice. And now would be a good time to pick him up, wouldn't it? Now that the Bat has abandoned him. I must say I'm impressed. I would punish my apprentice but outright kill him? What a waste."

Artemis rolled her eyes: "So you are here to gloat?"

"10 Million dollars", Deathstroke said, "That's how much I was offered if I bring someone Nightwing's head."

Artemis eyes widened. Her thoughts raced. Dick suspected that the Light had leaked the video and during the press conference today the public had demanded to see proof that Nightwing was alive.

"He's recovering", Superman had said.

"The Light leaked the video, didn't they?", Artemis said, "And they want to see Nightwing dead before he reappears in public. People would believe that he died from his injuries. Batman would be forever ruined. And the League with him."

"Not bad. Maybe you are a second-rate hero", Deathstroke laughed.

He hadn't corrected her when she had mentioned the Light.

"See it as a little gift to keep my apprentice alive. I'll collect my debt later", Deathstroke dropped a smoke bomb and leapt off the building.

Artemis cursed and raced to the ledge. She searched for Deathstroke but he was nowhere to be seen.

This whole mess had become even more chaotic.

Artemis activated her comm and called the Watchtower.

"Martian Manhunter?", J'on said.

"It's Artemis. We need another press conference as quickly as possible. Nightwing needs to show himself to the public."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: …and some Zatanna. Her relationship with Dick had a lot of potential on the show as they're both awesome characters. But they rushed it a lot so it's fun to flesh it out a bit here.**

8\. Zatanna

The last time she had been so scared was when her father had put on the Helmet of Fate. She was in a backroom of the Hall of Justice while Superman held another press conference. They had immediately announced it after Artemis had broken the news.

Zatanna barely registered what Clark said. Dick sat next to her on a worn couch. He was bandaged under his costume but the bruises in his face started to fade. It still looked horrible and Zatanna had to keep herself from touching him to examine the wounds. They waited for Clark to announce him so that Dick could prove that he was still alive.

"I'm fine, Zee", Nightwing said for the hundred time.

"Are you not nervous? Someone could be trying to kill you right now."

"I've got you to protect me, don't I?", his smile was as infectious as ever.

Zatanna would be lying if she said that she had stopped thinking about him. They had been a couple for almost three years when Zatanna had joined the League and they still had been in love. But she dealt with world-threatening missions with the League and he was caught up in covert operations and Blüdhaven. Zatanna repeatedly tried to convince him to join the League but Dick refused. None of them had time for their relationship so they had mutually agreed to break it off.

"You could still join the League", Zatanna said, "They would take you in an instant. You could announce it right now. It would be a nice surprise."

Dick seemed to think for a moment but then his smile returned: "You know me. I'm a ninja. I don't do the spotlight. Or magic shows."

Under the mask he must have been winking at her.

She playfully slapped his shoulder: "You not doing the spotlight, circus boy? Have you seen yourself fight?"

They smiled at each other and their faces were far too close to each other to be platonic. Zatanna noticed and pulled back.

Dick rubbed his neck – clearly embarrassed: "Right. Yeah."

"I voted for Bruce not to be punished", Zatanna said after a while.

"Why?"

"I hate him right now", she said, "Because he hurt you. But I know what it would do to you if he was thrown out of the League."

Dick lowered his gaze. He stayed silent – uncharacteristic for him.

Zatanna laid a hand on his shoulder: "You would blame yourself if he was thrown out because you called in the League. I know your martyr-like idiocy."

Dick chuckled: "You are the best, Zee. You know that?"

He still looked thoughtful. Bruce had really done a number on him. Zatanna would turn Bruce into a pig if she saw him right now.

"Enough about me", he forced a smile, "How are the League-missions going?"

"Great. It's really cool to be able to be close to the people you are helping. I loved being with the Team but it was always more covert and reclusive. Being a spy isn't for me. I want to give people hope."

Dick nodded. He seemed to want to say something but Clark announced Nightwing on the stage. Within one moment Dick's outward demeanor changed. He plastered on a smile and transformed into the ever-approachable Nightwing. Moments like these always reminded Zatanna that Dick was a bat.

She followed him onto the stage and stood next to Black Canary who - together with some other Leaguers - was giving Clark backup. A mob of reporters was gathered in front of the stage – all waiting to snap up something extraordinary.

"Any occurrences?", Dinah asked.

"No. Everything was safe. If someone wanted to try anything it's too late now."

Dinah nodded visibly relieved. Now they had to count on Dick to defuse the situation.

Clark laid a hand on Nightwing's shoulder and greeted him. He stayed next to him at the podium.

"Someone is protective", Zatanna murmured.

Nightwing pulled the microphone down to match his height. He smirked at Clark.

"Not everyone can be the Man of Steel", Dick mocked Clark's nickname to the amusement of the audience, "I heard that you were worried about me. That really touched me. But I can assure you that I'm fine."

A woman lifted her hand: "You still seem to be injured."

"Comes with the job. It's not the worst I ever had and won't be the last."

She seemed doubtful: "Does it also come with the job to be beaten up by Batman?"

"Depends on who you ask. Two Face would definitely say so."

"Has Batman ever beaten you before?", a dark-haired man asked.

"At basketball? I'm a pro there so B never stood a chance", Nightwing said.

Zatanna smiled. Dick could let them run in circles for the next few hours if he wanted to.

Nightwing continued: "But on a more serious note - we spar in training. You can't avoid the occasional hit from Batman."

"So that's what you would call the incident in the warehouse? Training?"

"An intense sparring session."

"You almost died. In the end you were pleading for your life."

Nightwing subtly flinched. It must be invisible to almost everyone else – but not Zatanna. Dick was more shaken than he let on and she feared that he was burying all of his problems like he always did.

"A _very_ intense sparring session."

The dark-haired man continued to ask questions.

"Tenacious bastard", Dinah whispered to Zatanna – her mouth covered so that no one could read her lips.

Zatanna nodded.

"How is your relationship to Batman?", the dark-haired man asked.

"I know him", Nightwing said.

"Is he your father?"

"What do you think?", Dick asked with a forced smile.

Zatanna wondered if Dick knew the answer himself. Bruce and him had always been complicated.

"I think he is your father. It seemed so from the recording."

"My memory is a bit hazy. Could be the concussion."

"What do you think should happen to Batman?", the dark-haired man just kept bombarding Dick with questions.

"It's not my decision but the League's", Dick said.

"OK", Clark fastened his grip on Dick's shoulder and leaned down towards the microphone – which looked a bit comical.

"I think these were enough questions. Nightwing still needs some rest."

Questions kept coming in.

"Who is Zucco?"

"Were Batman's parents killed?"

"Were you jealous of the second Robin?"

"What happened to him?"

Clark led Dick to the back of the stage. He visibly relaxed when they were out of the eyes of the reporters.

"How is Bruce?", Dick asked.

"Still not talking", Clark said, "We've been trying everything."

"Not everything", Dick glared at Clark.

He went to the Zeta entrance and the voice announced his departure. Zatanna exchanged a glance with Black Canary.

"He'll come around", she said.

Zatanna doubted that.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I'm really excited about this one. I promised you some Bruce and I'm here to deliver. Dick and Bruce finally talk it out… or do they? **

9\. Bruce

Bruce still felt this anger burning inside him. It hadn't subsided since he had almost killed the Joker. Being caught in this cage without being able to go after the bastard made him even more furious. It would have been so easy if Dick hadn't-

He shouldn't be angry at Dick. His ward had almost died because of Bruce's actions. And no matter how much Nightwing had angered him in the spur of the moment, he never wanted the kid to be hurt. If he had just kept out of it...

Bruce sighed. Without his gear, he wouldn't be able to break out of a Watchtower cell – cells he had helped design. There was nothing but a metal gurney here and a separate bathroom. They had offered him books but Bruce had refused. He wouldn't let himself be distracted from his mission.

But no matter how much he thought about escaping, he needed outside help. When they had first built the cells to restrain any meta-human, Bruce had incorporated a design flaw to be able to escape if he needed to. But then the mind-control incident with the Light had happened.

Bruce had almost killed Dick.

And in an unusual fit of sentimentality he had fixed the design flaw to make sure that the League could restrain Batman if he found himself under mind-control again. Now, he regretted his decision. If he had been less soft-hearted, he would have already reached the Joker and brought him to justice.

But Bruce knew that it wouldn't be long until he could fulfill his plan. The League had played into Batman's hands when they hadn't let Nightwing see him. Dick would do anything to get to his mentor. It was only a waiting-game. He gave Dick a few hours at most.

And he was correct (as usual): Bruce listened. There was the sound of steps before his cell door. Unnoticeable to anyone but his trained ears. The cell door opened with a whooshing sound. Nightwing looked up from his wrist computer.

"You hacked the cell?", Bruce asked.

"I hacked the cell", he grinned.

Dick entered the small room. Bruce's stomach clenched when he saw the fist-shaped bruises on his ward's face. He wanted to apologize. He really did. But emotions had never been Batman's forte.

Instead he forced the corners of his mouth up, in an expression that could be interpreted as a smile. Nightwing looked at Bruce intently. His ward could read Bruce like no other. He had to in the field.

Bruce stood up trying to reach the exit but Nightwing put his hand on Bruce's shoulder: "I wanted to talk to you."

He took off his mask and to Bruce's horror he could see the wetness in Dick's eyes. Dick wanted to have one of these talks.

Bruce always evaded Dick when he was like this – fleeing into the Batcave. Normally, he had to hide out a few hours until Alfred took pity on the boy and gave him his heart-to-heart. He always told him something along the lines of: "Master Bruce deeply cares about you. He just has difficulty showing it."

It was true. All of it. Not that Bruce would ever tell that to Dick himself. Instead, he sent Alfred forward and listened to their conversations through the secret bugs he had planted in every room of the manor.

When Dick had been a child, they had sometimes had these emotional conversations. Bruce had hugged his ward when he suffered a nightmare. He had told the boy about his own parents and how Bruce had dealt with their deaths (badly). For some reason, it had comforted the boy.

He always felt helpless when Dick was like this. So unsure and in search for affection. Nightwing wasn't supposed to be like this. He was the first Robin – the charismatic professional that everyone liked. He wasn't supposed to have his own demons.

Bruce could never articulate what he wanted to say in these moments of insecurity. So he had stopped trying.

Now he couldn't. Not if he wanted the information he needed from Dick. His ward must have hacked some parts of the Watchtower. But how many systems were truly down? Bruce needed to know to escape and fulfill his mission.

Dick stepped forward. He had this open vulnerability in his eyes that made Bruce's stomach clench. It would be too easy to permanently break something within the boy. Only Bruce had this kind of power over Dick. He had utilized it often enough to accomplish his mission – pushing his ward. Sometimes he regretted it, but it always served the greater good.

Bruce didn't want to do it today. Not when the marks of his fists were still visible on Dick's face. But the Joker-situation left him no choice. Dick would understand in hindsight. He always did.

"I missed you", Dick said, "And I wish you were back in Gotham but I think we both know that you shouldn't be working right now. I needed some time to admit that to myself."

Dick looked to the floor.

Bruce forced his simmering rage down. How could Dick betray him by implying that Bruce wasn't fit for the mission?

"I missed you, too", the words felt like forcing a stone out of his throat.

Dick looked up in surprise: "You did?"

Bruce nodded. His throat was dry. Dick lighted up after Bruce's admission.

"Did you hack the security systems?", Bruce asked.

Dick ignored his question. He looked at Bruce as if he wanted to initiate a hug. But he held himself back.

Bruce swallowed his pride and spread his arms. Dick crashed into him: "I thought that you hated me."

"I don't", Bruce said.

It was the truth again. Why was it so difficult to say it? Was he so emotionally constipated?

He pushed the thought away and focused on his goal: "Did you hack the security systems?"

Again, Dick evaded his question. He smiled up at Bruce.

His left eye was still swollen from Bruce's punch: "The League doesn't want to fire you. They want to help you. And I can say from experience that Black Canary is really good at that. If you talked to them, it would be easier. You could come home earlier. I could return to Gotham. And then it would be like it used to: Alfred, you and me."

Bruce sighed internally. Why couldn't his ward focus more on the important things?

Jason had had many faults. He had been aggressive and had always challenged Batman's authority. But he had always been more closed off than Dick. It had served Bruce well because it meant that he didn't have to talk about feelings.

Bruce loved both of his… charges. But right now he'd rather have Jason in front of him. The second Robin would have freed him without a fuss only cracking a sarcastic joke or two.

Bruce needed to put an end to this before he would break under this emotional weight. He couldn't deal with it right now. Not when Jason's death still lingered in the back of his mind. He needed closure for himself and his second Robin. And Dick was in the way right now.

Dick rambled on about therapy and how much Black Canary had helped him understand some things about himself.

Bruce interrupted him - his voice more aggressive than before: "How many of the security measures did you disable?"

Dick flinched: "Are you angry? They're all offline. I really needed to see you, Bruce. And they wouldn't let me."

"I'm not angry", Bruce pulled Dick into another hug.

His ward seemed surprised. But he tightened his arms around Bruce and the Dark Knight felt tears going through his shirt.

Bruce used to admire the fact that Dick hadn't emotionally cut himself off after his parents' deaths. Batman had seen it as a strength that even he himself would never have. Now he recognized it as Dick's fatal weakness. The boy would always be too kindhearted for the vigilante life – too trusting.

Just like he was now. He still clung on to Bruce rambling about how much he had missed his guardian. How he had been worried about Bruce. How he wanted to return home and fix things.

Bruce blocked it out. He couldn't allow himself sentimentality.

Batman pulled Dick into a vice-like grip. Nightwing flinched when his injured ribs were pressured.

"Bruce, you-"

Before the teenager could even attempt to free himself, Bruce pulled a needle out of Nightwing's gear and sank it into the younger one's neck. Dick slumped against Bruce. His head landed on his guardian's shoulder.

The kid was lighter than he had expected. Concerningly so. Bruce wondered if he was eating properly in Blüdhaven. But he had no time for these concerns.

Once Joker was dead, he would patch things up with Nightwing. The kid would forgive him. He always did. Maybe this lesson would show him not to be too trusting. It could prove beneficial after all.

Bruce laid him on the metal gurney. Having no time for regret - Bruce searched through Dick's gear and took everything potentially useful including his wingdings (the name had always been silly) and his wrist computer.

He made sure that the kid laid safely on the gurney and checked his ribs. Thankfully, nothing seemed to be damaged. _Not more than it already had been_, Bruce thought with regret.

He closed the cell door behind him.

Nightwing's unconscious form would buy him some time. The heat sensors in the guard's office would indicate that the cell was occupied. Enough to fool some of the less experienced Leaguers on first glance. It was time to end a certain clown.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: After Bruce's betrayal, we finally see how Dick (and the rest of the team) reacts. It will become quite emotional and I hope I struck the right balance. Apparently, I managed to make Bruce quite punchable in this story and it gets even worse in this chapter. My aim is to still keep him nuanced because it's more interesting this way. The complexity is what makes Dick's and Bruce's relationship so great.**

**A small warning for discussions of abuse (emotional and physical). It's nothing graphic but please take care if this is a topic you are struggling with. No one deserves to go through these situations.**

**On a happier note, I finally got to write out of Kaldur's point-of-view. He's more difficult to convey because he is a more quiet member of the team but I enjoyed writing him. I always liked how his voice actor created a sense of dignity and honor for the character. Really shows how much great voice acting brings to the table. Same goes for the other actors on the show.**

* * *

10\. Kaldur

Kaldur knew his team. Every responsible leader did. So it didn't come unexpected when Zatanna called him and asked if Dick was with them. He had known that Nightwing was planning something.

"What happened?", Kaldur asked.

He was sitting on the bed of his room in the Cave.

"Dick left after the press conference. Clearly in a bad mood because Clark wouldn't let him see Bruce."

"Do you think he is trying to get to Batman? The Watchtower should be secure."

"We are talking about Nightwing here. Batman let him hack the security system before as part of his training."

Kaldur nodded: "You are right. The Team will search for him. I presume that you don't want the League to find out?"

"I'm distracting them. I don't want him to get in trouble."

"None of us do. Don't worry, Zatanna. We will do our best."

"I know."

He ended the call and went to the living room in search for the Team. They were all hanging out in civilian clothing.

"We have a mission."

Wally looked up – visibly surprised: "What?"

"We have to make sure that Nightwing stays out of trouble."

He had rarely seen the team move quicker. After a few minutes, they returned fully geared up. Kaldur nodded with pride. This team had fully grown into a unit. They cared for each other.

Their suspicions were correct when the Zeta tube allowed Kaldur access to the Watchtower – usually only reserved to Leaguers.

He reappeared on the satellite. It seemed deserted. Interestingly, it smelled like smoke. Kaldur stored this fact in the back of his mind to examine it later. Now they had to find Nightwing.

"Shouldn't someone be on guard duty?", M'Gann, who appeared behind him, asked over the mindlink.

"The identification system is off. Nightwing is definitely here", Kaldur.

"Look", Wally pointed at the unconscious form of John Stewart who was tied up in a corner.

In a split second, the speedster freed him.

"Dick really went too far", Connor.

"This doesn't seem like him. He doesn't do that to his allies. He's a Bat but not that ruthless", Wally.

Kaldur agreed with him. Nightwing could be paranoid like his mentor and he had the tendency to be obsessive in his missions but he never forgot his friends. And Dick had a tendency to be friends with everyone – including the Leaguers. They had to find him.

Kaldur walked forward into the direction of the cells. The team followed fully on alert.

They walked through the corridor where the prisoners were held. Beside each metal door was a screen that indicated if the cell was in use. They reached Batman's door which seemed untouched. Kaldur frowned.

"It seems like Batman is in there", M'Gann over the mindlink.

"Dick would already have been here. Maybe he changed his mind?", Wally – hopeful that his best friend had come to his senses.

"Maybe they just talked and he left?", M'Gann.

"We have to check it", Kaldur.

Zatanna had texted him her code for opening a Watchtower cell. Every Leaguer had one. Kaldur typed it in. The content of the cell left all of them in shock. Kaldur could feel it over the mindlink.

Nightwing was lying on the metal gurney. Probably unconscious. Even Batman hadn't become ruthless enough to kill his closest ally.

Wally reacted before all of them and zipped into the cell. He felt Dick's pulse and gave a thumbs up.

Kaldur went into detective mode. He was not on the level of the Bats but he had learnt a lot in the last few years.

"A lot of his gear is missing", Kaldur.

He noticed something under the gurney and picked it up. A needle in Nightwing's black and blue design. Kaldur didn't like the implications of this.

"You think what I think?", Wally.

"I can hear what you think, idiot. Our minds are connected", Artemis.

Kaldur forced himself to go through the facts and voice the logical conclusion.

"Nightwing hacked the security system to get into the Watchtower. But he needed to distract the guards. It smelled like smoke which was probably part of his distraction."

Artemis continued his thoughts: "Nightwing went to Batman's cell to talk to him, but the jerk tranquilized him and took some of his gear. Batman must have run into Green Lantern while fleeing. He knocked him out."

"See? Told you Rob wouldn't do this", Wally.

Connor: "This is bad. If Batman takes these extreme measures to escape, he must still be after the Joker."

Nightwing stirred but didn't wake up.

"We regroup in the Cave", Kaldur, "Superboy, can you carry him?"

Connor nodded. He picked Nightwing up bridal style.

Wally grinned: "Let me take a picture. I will never let Rob live this down."

"We have more important things to worry about, Baywatch."

"You still love me."

They hurried back to the exit. There was still no one to be seen. Kaldur sighed in relief.

The Team zetaed back into the Cave without any problems. Their mission had been a success. Why did it not feel like it?

Superboy was still holding Nightwing when he opened his eyes: "Bruce?"

He seemed to grow increasingly panicked struggling in Connor's grip: "Bruce? Where are you?"

Kaldur forced himself to remain calm: "Batman is not here. We are at the Cave."

Superboy laid Dick down on the couch.

Their youngest team member still seemed to be in shock. His eyes jumped through the room searching for something – or rather someone. He deflated when he didn't find who Kaldur assumed to be Batman.

Dick sat up. He was as pale as a sheet. His forehead glistened with sweat and his eyes were rimmed red.

The team exchanged helpless glances.

"Hey, Rob. You fine?", Wally asked.

Artemis elbowed him for asking such a stupid question.

"He used me, Walls", Dick seemed to see through them, "He knew that I would come to talk to him. He didn't even listen."

"He's on his way to the Joker", Kaldur said.

Dick clenched his fists. He didn't seem to notice Kaldur's comments.

Instead, he slung his arms around himself and looked up at the team: "What did I do wrong?"

Kaldur was speechless. How was he supposed to comfort his friend? Kaldur would always be by his mentor's side. If Aquaman broke his trust, it would feel like losing a father. Dick had experienced this betrayal just hours ago and Kaldur couldn't imagine how it felt.

Wally sat next to Dick and laid his arm around his shoulders: "Have you ever considered that Bruce's wrong?"

Kaldur was grateful for the speedster. He seemed to know best how to deal with a distraught Dick Grayson. Rarely, had the rest of the team seen him truly break down.

"He's Batman. Batman's never wrong", Dick said.

"He beat you up, Rob. No parent should ever do that to their child."

"He's not my father", Dick's voice was sharp.

Kaldur decided that he didn't want to go down that road. Dick had always been defensive when someone called Batman his father.

Even Wally seemed increasingly overwhelmed. He looked at the rest of the team in search for assistance.

To their shock, Dick hid his face in his hands and cried. He seemed embarrassed and repeatedly tried to wipe away his tears.

"I'm sorry, guys", Dick tried to sound calm, "I should just suck it up and get traught."

Kaldur's throat was dry but he took initiative. Dick wouldn't react to empty platitudes. Instead, Kaldur approached the subject from a logical angle.

He crouched in front of Dick and tried to be gentle when he said: "Would you find excuses for Bruce if he did to any other team member what he did to you?"

"He would never do that."

"Why?"

Dick pulled at his hair and wiped his tears away again: "Be- Because you don't deserve it."

M'Gann gave him a tissue.

Wally balled his fists: "Don't be crazy, Rob."

It made Dick flinch. Artemis silenced the speedster by putting her hand on his shoulder.

Kaldur had to tread carefully. Dick's confrontation with Bruce had left him uncharacteristically open. He voiced doubts he had never mentioned before.

"Why do you think you deserve it?"

Dick looked up at Kaldur in confusion: "What?"

"Why do you think you deserve being beaten up by Batman?"

Dick flinched again looking down at his hand: "He was right about me. I've always been jealous of Jason. And I took it out on him like some asshole. I needed months until I accepted him as my little brother and then he died. And I wasn't there."

The tissue ripped between Dick's shaking hands: "He adopted Jason immediately. He never did the same with me. Sometimes I wonder if Bruce even likes me. I mean: Here I am again. Rambling about family secrets like some pathetic, overemotional idiot."

Kaldur gripped Dick's hand. He understood how it felt to be pushed out of your space. To fear that you weren't good enough anymore. When Tula had rejected him for Garth, he had struggled with it for months.

No wonder that Dick struggled. He was open for a Bat and attached to the people he loved. Certainly, more so than Batman and Jason. The second Robin had needed months to have a pleasant conversation with the other team members which didn't end in an awkward silence or a fight. The streets had hardened him creating a thick protective shell. But Dick's emotional nature had never been a weakness. It kept him from going too far – unlike Batman.

Dick fiddled with the tissue: "It think he's just keeping me around because I'm useful to him. But not anymore. Not since Jay- He doesn't need me anymore. I'm waiting for the day when he turns up with another black-haired, blue-eyed kid."

"You seriously can't believe you're that expendable", Artemis said.

Dick lowered his gaze: "Can we just drop it?"

He muttered something about being _too emotional_ again.

"We love you, Dick", M'Gann said, "We're your friends. We mean it."

"But you're not him", Dick practically screamed at her.

M'Gann shrank back.

"I'm sorry", Dick tried to force himself to smile, "Just ignore me."

Kaldur wouldn't let this drop. Otherwise, the doubts would evolve and destroy his friend from within: "So you think you're too emotional?"

"I know because he told me. We had our fair share of fights after Jay."

"What else did he tell you?"

"You wanna know all my screw-ups?", Dick chuckled, "He told me that I'm unfocused. Too flashy. That I talk too much. That I don't take anything seriously. That I never listen. That I'm clingy. Desperate for approval. And that I was secretly glad about Jason dying."

Kaldur felt sick.

"Happy now?", Dick tried to stand up.

Wally kept him down.

"That's emotional abuse, Dick", Connor's voice was heavy, "Black Canary explained it to me. She said that Kadmus did the same to me by telling me that I was nothing but a weapon. That I could be nothing else. But they were wrong. They were just trying to control me. Batman is trying to do the same."

"It's normal. It's how Bruce is. He's always been paranoid, controlling and had impossible standards. I'm used to it", Dick snorted.

Kaldur had never seen him so bitter.

"Then he's wrong", Connor said.

Dick glared at the clone: "He's not abusing me. I'm Robin. Nightwing. I can defend myself. And I'm not weak just because I don't have superstrength."

"My father abused me", Artemis visibly forced herself to speak, "He hit me. Forced me to hurt people. He put me down. He pitted Jade and me against each other."

Wally took her hand trying to comfort her.

"It can happen to everyone – even the best of us", Artemis said, "Got nothing to do with weakness."

"I'm sorry, Arty. But that's not the same", Dick avoided her gaze, "Sportsmaster is a villain. Batman is a hero."

"And heroes can't be shitty people?", Artemis crossed her arms.

Dick stayed silent. He seemed confused.

Wally sat down next to his friend and pulled him into a hug: "Why didn't you tell me, bro? He's long overstepped a line."

"Because I didn't want to bother you. I'm overbearing enough."

"You're not a burden, Dick", Wally looked his friend in the eyes, "What do you think I am then?"

"You're Wally."

"Well, I talk far more than you – and faster. I eat indefinite amounts of food. I used to hit on every girl in sight. I –"

"Don't put yourself down like that, Walls."

Wally looked at him expectantly.

Dick frowned: "You think I'm putting myself down?"

"You are, Rob. The things Bruce said about you are bullshit."

"It's different- I-"

"It's not different. Even if he's not your father. You should never say these things to another person."

Dick bit his lip. He seemed to think.

"No one deserves this", Artemis said.

"Especially not our friend", Connor growled.

He looked like he wanted to rip something to pieces. Probably Batman. Kaldur could understand the sentiment but he was too controlled to ever take revenge on Batman. His King would be disappointed.

Dick lowered his head at the praise. He sighed: "I just don't know how to deal with him anymore. He's still my mentor, you know? I owe him. He took me in."

Kaldur didn't know what to say. The rest of the team also seemed to be lost for words. Dick's trust in his mentor had been shaken but he still held on to him.

Dick suddenly jumped up tearing at his hair: "What am I doing? I have to stop him. He's lost if he gets to Joker. And Gotham with him."

Dick limped towards his room probably to get his missing gear.

Wally sighed: "He's still not getting it."

"We seemed to get through to him for at least a bit", Kaldur tried to remain calm, "We have to give him time."

Artemis nodded. She seemed to be thinking about her own demons.

Kaldur looked at his team: "I know you're not a fan of _cheese_ or however it's called on the surface world. But it's important to say that we aren't the Justice League. We stick together in the face of adversity."

The members of the team nodded.

Wally bumped each of their fist: "Maybe we should get that team song."

Connor glared at the jab: "Never, Flash Boy."

"Did I miss some secret pact?", Dick stood in the doorway.

He was in full Nightwing-gear again. It was concerning how quickly he regained his composure. Dick may be emotional for a Bat but he still was more closed off than was healthy.

"We are coming with you, Rob", Wally zipped to Dick's side.

"The Joker is being held in Arkham Asylum. This won't be easy, guys", Dick said.

"This Team has never done easy", Kaldur checked his water bearers.

"One could say that we are uneasy", Dick grinned.

"That's already a word, Boy Blunder", Artemis joined in in the lighthearted teasing, "And it doesn't mean what you think."

"I'm calling the League", Kaldur said, "We need all the backup we can get."

He called Zatanna again.

"We need backup. Batman has escaped. We are going to Arkham to keep him from killing Joker."

"This is a bad time", she was breathing heavily, "We are fighting Klarion and some of his magical goons. He teamed up with assassins from the League of Shadows and attacked after the press conference. The Light tries to make us look incapable after we lost Batman and Wonder Woman. Every available Leaguer is-"

There was a loud crash.

"Zee?", Dick ripped the phone away from Kaldur.

"I'm fine", she sounded pained, "Just a scratch."

"We'll do it ourselves", Kaldur said, "Make sure to stay safe and that no civilian is harmed."

"Sure, my fearless leader", Zatanna joked.

She still had great respect for Kaldur even if she didn't work on his team anymore and technically outranked him.

"Stay safe yourselves", she said.

Kaldur felt reassured. His team was ready. They stood stronger than ever.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: I'm a bit later than usual but I'm making it up with a long and quite exciting chapter. The team arrives at Arkham to stop Batman from killing Joker. But they are not the only ones there...**

* * *

11\. M'Gann

Arkham was even more terrifying than she had imagined. Grey clouds lingered over the asylum. It reeked of dust, rot and misery. They entered the asylum - ready for anything. Strangely, M'Gann only felt the faint emotions of the inmates. There was no sign of any employees. She closed off her telepathic mind towards any other influence than her team. Otherwise, the emotions and thoughts hanging in the air were too oppressive.

Dick drew his escrima sticks. The entrance hall was deathly quiet. A chandelier hung from the ceiling covered in spiderwebs.

"Dude, shouldn't there be actual people working here?", Wally over the mindlink.

"I couldn't sense any employees here. Only the inmates", M'Gann.

They followed Nightwing who moved soundlessly to the registration desk. M'Gann halted when she saw the body who was leaning head forward on the desk. Blood dripped from the man's throat and hit the floor. M'Gann frowned. The team hadn't expected a body – well maybe except for the Joker. An enraged Batman would have been bad enough in itself.

Nightwing examined the man: "Throat slashed with a blade. A katana I would say. That's not the MO of any regular visitor here."

"Deathstroke", Artemis.

Dick nodded: "He's here. Let's see what I can find through the security cameras."

He hacked the computer on the desk.

His fingers flew over the keyboard. After a few seconds, he shook his head: "Deathstroke destroyed the cameras."

"Every single one?", Wally.

"Slade is thorough. But luckily we can guess where he is."

M'Gann shivered. She had never been in such an oppressive environment. Even though she had closed her mind, she could still feel the dark thoughts trying to creep in. Connor took her hand. She smiled at him.

They ran down several stairs which were littered by dead bodies. The team tried to find a pulse but couldn't find one on any of them. Deathstroke was nothing if not efficient. M'Gann felt for the employees of Arkham. Innocents caught in a game between Deathstroke and Batman.

"Welcome to the deepest pit of hell. All of our friends are down here", Dick hacked a metal door, "Brace yourselves."

"This is probably a trap", Artemis.

"With one hundred percent", Kaldur.

The door swung open and M'Gann shivered. In front of them laid a cell block. Each cell had a glass front.

Dick: "The Joker is at the end of the corridor-"

"Because of course he is", Wally.

"Just ignore them and walk on", Dick went first.

He was still moving a bit more stiffly than usual. His ribs hadn't healed yet and M'Gann knew that his eyes were rimmed red under the mask. Dick tightened his shoulders and kept his chin high. She tried to follow his example.

"Dude, this is some silence-of-the-lambs-level shit", Wally.

M'Gann looked forward trying to avoid eye contact with the inmates while Connor directly glared at them.

Killer Crock growled at them. Poison Ivy winked flirtatiously at Connor. M'Gann made sure to pull him with her and glared at Ivy. The plant-lady giggled.

Two Face flipped his coin staring intently at Nightwing. When the former Robin crossed his cell, he broke his coin in half and threw the pieces at the wall where they stuck – along with dozens of other coins. M'Gann didn't even know how this was possible. Nightwing ignored this puzzling display.

The only one who got to him was Scarecrow. He pressed his rotting face against the glass and

pulled his mouth into a disturbing grimace.

"Hello birdie", the villain's voice sounded distorted as if his vocal chords were ripped apart, "Did you bring your friends because you are scared?"

He soaked in the air: "Fear, beautiful fear. I can smell it."

Scarecrow's grimace widened: "The question is: What do you fear? It smells suspiciously like a bat."

Dick halted and looked at Scarecrow.

"I hit a nerve didn't I?", Scarecrow showed his yellow teeth, "Who can you trust if the one you love is the monster?"

"Shut up, Crane", Dick said.

"Don't kill the messenger. I'm always just the messenger."

Kaldur put his hand on Dick's shoulder and led him away.

They crossed Mr. Freeze and a man with a pig mask. M'Gann shuddered.

How many bad guys did Batman fight? How could he still be sane? Well. That was the problem. He wasn't. M'Gann had often wondered what she would find in Batman's mind but she didn't want to search.

Dick suddenly halted. He looked at a woman in a tight leather suit who sat on a metal bench.

"Catwoman? What are you doing in Arkham? What happened to Gotham Penitentiary?"

"You can thank your mentor for that. He doesn't like it when you tell him he's going too far."

"I can attest to that", Dick muttered.

"So it's true. The video?"

"It's true", Dick said.

She looked genuinely sad: "I'm sorry, kid. You're here to rescue him?"

"Rescue?"

"Deathstroke has him. He's playing some kind of sick game. And Batman is still intent on killing the damn clown. Not that I can blame him. His laughter is so annoying. A cat needs her beauty sleep."

Dick swallowed: "I'll always be there for him even if he doesn't want it."

M'Gann bit her lip. He still hadn't learnt his lesson. He still clung on to his mentor even if he didn't deserve it.

"That makes two of us", she smiled, "Even though I miss the days when he chased me over the rooftops. We used to have so much fun. Now, he just arrests me like the others. And he doesn't pull his punches even when I wear my reddest lipstick. So boring."

Dick grinned: "Yeah. B really needs to lighten up."

"Not to forget how unsexy he's become despite all those abs. I'm not really into guys who punch their own kid."

Dick flinched.

"He's been a real asshole", Catwoman stood up and walked towards the glass wall, "You look like shit."

"I'm fine."

She pulled up a brow: "You know where you can vent when he's annoying you again?"

"In Arkham?"

"I won't be here for long", Catwoman smiled, "Pay me a visit, kid. Otherwise, I'll check out this new museum in Blüdhaven. It seems quite promising."

"A museum for cat artifacts. I think they are trying to bait you", Dick grinned, "Gotta go. Pull B out of his misery."

"He doesn't deserve us", Catwoman said.

Dick frowned.

"A cat knows her self-worth", she put a hand on her hip, "A bird should, too."

Dick nodded and kept on walking. He seemed to think.

"You two are close", M'Gann thought.

It was adorable and weird at the same time considering that she was an Arkham inmate.

"She kind of used to be something like my stepmother but B chickened out like he always does. He used to send me back home when I was a kid and we encountered Catwoman on patrol. I never understood why. Now, I'm glad he did. Seeing that would have scarred me for life."

M'Gann exchanged a glance with Connor. He shrugged. Gotham was weird.

"So Batman is into bad girls?", Wally grinned, "Who would have thought?"

"He used to have something with Talia al Ghul. Thankfully that's over", Dick, "Catwoman is much cooler."

M'Gann exchanged another puzzled glance with Connor. Gotham was really weird.

Dick lost his humorous demeanor once they reached the end of the corridor. The Joker was in the last cell – apparently moping? Deathstroke was nowhere to be seen. M'Gann froze when she saw that Batman was in one of the cells. He was chained against a wall and gagged.

"It's obviously a trap", Kaldur.

"Obviously", Nightwing, "But I can't let him stay like this."

Dick went to the Joker's cell: "What happened Joker? Why so sad?"

"Ooh it's horrible, birdboy", the Joker wiped away a dramatic tear, "Batsy was all about to kill me with no pesky heroes to stop him. What happens? Pesky Deathstroke steps in, captures Batman and ruins all my fun."

"Did he say what he wants?"

"Do I look like a message board to you, boy?", the Joker grimaced, "Just accept it. Batsy is lost. I have won."

Dick said: "Nothing is lost until it you're dead. And I won't let it happen."

"Don't worry birdboy. I'll gleefully break your wings and then there's nothing holding Batsy back anymore."

"Bird metaphors. So original", Dick grinned, "Haven't heard that one before. You are a lousy comedian."

Joker jumped from his bed and walked to the glass. He hit his fists against the window and laughed maniacally.

Nightwing looked to the cell where Batman was being held. He sighed: "I have to go in."

"It's a trap. Deathstroke could easily close the door behind you. He probably has hacked this whole place."

"I got you to back me up don't I?", Dick looked around for a last time and hacked the cell to enter.

The door opened. Batman was still. He watched them with an attentive gaze.

"Hey B", Nightwing took out a Wingding and cut Batman's gag.

"You shouldn't be here", Batman said.

"You know me. I'm always in places I shouldn't be. And I trust people I shouldn't", Dick's voice sounded bitter.

M'Gann winced. She looked at Connor who was stemming himself against the door to make sure it wouldn't close.

Nightwing methodically opened Batman's restraints - casually talking with his mentor in the process: "Maybe I should be glad that Deathstroke was here. He stopped you. You know that there is something wrong with you when freaking Deathstroke has more sense than you?"

"Do you want a new mentor?", Batman growled.

"Do you want a new sidekick?"

"This is about Robin again, isn't it? This isn't the place for this, Nightwing."

"I admit that I had some issues with Robin at first. But he became my little brother. And regardless of what you think: I'm not happy about his death", Dick opened the last restraint, "I had a few realizations after you kicked me to the curb but I'm saving my words because you aren't listening anyway."

"Then maybe you should have more important things to say. We have more serious things to worry about."

"Fuck you", Nightwing left the cell.

The villains were watching in glee.

Batman followed him: "Did you forget what I told you about keeping up appearances in public?"

"Which appearances? Everyone knows how screwed-up we are."

"We'll talk about this later. I know that my actions must have been… upsetting to you. I'll explain my reasonings behind them. And then you'll understand why they had to be taken."

Dick stayed silent. He narrowed his eyes.

Batman looked at the rest of the team: "Leave. This is not a mission for you."

Kaldur stepped forward: "So that you can kill the Joker, Batman? The Team cannot allow you to do this. It's against everything the League – and you – have taught us."

"Do you want to fight all of us?", Connor balled his fists.

"We'll take you down, Batman", Wally grinned cockily and took a fighting stance.

Kaldur over the mindlink: "Kid, we shouldn't provo-"

Before Wally could react, Batman swept his legs out under him and threw him into the empty cell.

The speedster laid there motionless.

"KID FLASH", Artemis ran into the cell examining her boyfriend.

Batman dropped a smoke bomb disorienting M'Gann. The only thing she could hear was the flutter of a cape and some pained grunts. They seemed to stem from Connor.

"SB. He has Kryptonite", Nightwing.

"Noticed that", Connor sounded strained.

M'Gann tried to see the green glow of the stone but she couldn't identify it in this mess. Suddenly a fit of weakness overcame her. Fire. Batman had laid a ring of small fiery gadgets around them. She could barely make them out between the smoke.

A needle pushed into her neck. Batman shoved her into the cell. She found herself losing consciousness. Metal clanked. Batman had closed the cell door behind her. M'Gann was trapped with the rest of her team.

"Everyone alright?", she asked over the mindlink finding that her control slipped.

Nothing from Wally. He must have been unconscious. Aqualad's consciousness was also waning. Batman must have gotten him with the fire. It was really annoying that two team members had the same weakness.

"I'm fine", Artemis, "Wally is just tranquilized. And Kaldur too."

"Damn Kryptonite", Connor sank to the floor.

M'Gann noticed the green stone. It was with them in the closed cell. Artemis threw it as far away from Connor as possible.

"Where's Dick?", M'Gann.

He was the only team member not in the cell.

"Having a deja-vu", Nightwing.

The smoke had cleared. Behind the glass they could see Batman trying to beat Nightwing while the younger hero evaded in the narrow corridor and got the occasional hit in. They seemed to be at a stalemate. Bruce was too enraged to methodically defeat Nightwing and Nightwing was going up against Batman. Enough said.

M'Gann's consciousness slipped. She tried to get ahold of Batman's mind. If she could just restrain him for a bit, Dick could-

She seemed to ram into a wall. Horrifying images tormented her mind. Of broken bodies, blood and pure hate and anguish. Now she knew how Batman's mind looked like.

M'Gann's consciousness slipped. She just hoped that everything would be alright once she woke up. She doubted it.


	12. Chapter 12

12\. Dick

This felt terribly familiar. Dick still hadn't fully healed from fighting Bruce the last time – and now he was doing it again. Because Bruce was so freaking stubborn. His ribs were burning. But he was holding his own better this time. This time Nightwing fought as dirty as Batman did slashing at him with his Wingdings and disorienting him with complicated feats of acrobatics.

Dick looked to the cell where his teammates were captured. M'Gann, Kaldur and Wally were unconscious. Artemis glared at Bruce. Connor whimpered in pain. The half-Kryptonian pressed himself against the glass to get as far away from the Kryptonite as possible. He pulled his legs to his chest and made himself smaller.

Dick wished he could free them. But he couldn't hack the lock with Bruce breathing down his neck. And they were probably safer that way – except for Connor.

A sharp pain made Dick jump back. He had been distracted by worry for his teammates. Bruce had sent a vicious kick towards his knee.

"Your sentimentality makes you lose focus", Batman slashed at his now weaker leg with a Batarang.

Dick jumped to the side. He was getting cornered. Dick activated his wrist computer and tried to call the League again. Maybe they had solved their own problem. Maybe they could spare a hero or two. Before Dick could reach anyone, Bruce slashed at his wriest with a Batarang destroying his computer.

The villains in the neighboring cells had a field day over this. They were jeering at them, cheering and placing bets – all of them against Nightwing. Dick rolled his eyes. His back was pressed against the glass wall and Bruce seemed to ready himself for the final blow. Fine, if B wanted to play dirty…

Nightwing kicked him in the groin. Bruce fell back and visibly soaked in air. He seemed genuinely surprised by Dick's move.

"Nice one, kid", Selina cheered, "That one always worked for me."

Bruce's face reddened under the cowl. If he had been angry before, he was downright furious now. He slammed into Dick with pure force tackling him to the ground.

"I have a mission", Bruce growled.

"And my mission is to stop you", Dick forced a small smile.

He felt like a broken record by now. But Bruce's thick skull was hard to get through. Nightwing hit Bruce in the rib with his stick and twisted out from under him.

Dick stood over a furious Bruce and held an escrima stick to his chin: "Anger makes _you_ lose focus."

Bruce balled his fist and stood up: "I'm done fooling around."

He hit against Dick's already injured ribs and gripped him by the neck. Dick groaned when Bruce slammed him against the window of Selina's cell.

Catwoman sounded alarmed: "Think this through, Batman. I know you want to avenge Robin. But is it worth risking your son's life?"

It was cute that Selina believed that Bruce saw Dick as a son. Dick was glad that he couldn't see Bruce's eyes behind the cowl. He wouldn't be able to stand the hate in Bruce's eyes. And his guardian must hate him.

"Get out of my way", Bruce pulled out a tranquilizer, "You can't stop me."

Dick pushed back against Bruce's arm. But Bruce was too strong and his grip around Dick's neck was making him lightheaded. The needle neared his skin. Dick twisted trying to get out of Bruce's grip. But no one could stop a determined Batman.

"I don't like to do this", there was actual regret in Bruce's voice, "But I have to if you don't let me avenge Robin. To honor him one last time. It will be over afterwards."

In any other situation, the finality in Bruce's words would have been concerning. But Dick snorted at Bruce's regretful demeanor. It made no difference. Bruce had gone off the deep end and Dick wouldn't be able to stop him. But he could still try even if it was inevitable. Dick kept on struggling.

Batman tightened his grip around Nightwing's neck. Black spots covered Dick's vision. He sank back against the glass and waited for the prick of the needle.

The sound of clapping halted them in their movements. Deathstroke was walking down the corridor his katana drawn: "I didn't think you would be so ruthless, Batman."

Bruce let go off Dick. He sank to the ground gasping for air. The black spots cleared.

Batman balled his fists: "Why did you stop me, Deathstroke?"

"It was a test", Slade's katana glinted in the garish light of the hallway, "And you failed it. Not even your sidekick is safe from your rampage. It's time that he gets a new mentor."

Bruce stayed silent. Dick knew better than to expect Batman to protest. That would show that he cared.

"See, kid? I'm doing you a favor. I may be a murderer but at least I'm a murderer in control."

Dick stood up and automatically fell behind Bruce. Like it always had been.

"He hasn't killed anyone", Nightwing said.

"Yet", smugness dripped from Slade's voice.

Bruce seemed unfazed by their conversation about him. He stayed in his fighting stance.

The end of Deathstroke's katana scraped along the floor as he walked towards them. It made Dick's skin crawl. But everything was better than fighting Bruce again. They would restrain Deathstroke and maybe it would distract Bruce from the Joker. Hopefully.

"You are placing your loyalty in the wrong person, kid", Deathstroke said.

"So I should place it in you?"

"I was always good to my own."

Nightwing knew that Slade had lost his children from Bruce's files.

"I won't replace your kids", Nightwing said.

Deathstroke seemed to ponder about that: "Who said I wanted you to?"

"The fact that you are creepily obsessed with me."

Deathstroke laughed: "We will get along well, apprentice."

Bruce seemed annoyed. Well, he was at everything nowadays that didn't include killing the Joker.

"Today, Deathstroke", Batman growled.

Dick almost smiled. It was like it used to be. Bruce and him against the world. They only needed a common enemy to unite them again and to distract Bruce from his quest for vengeance.

"See? You're boring him, old man", Nightwing added just for old time's sake.

His throat still felt hoarse. Maybe he should stop with the taunts. But it was always far too much fun…

Deathstroke ran at him with his katana and Dick flipped out of the way. Batman must have used the opportunity to get a punch in. He waited for a grunt of pain from Slade. But was disappointed.

Dick halted. Batman was nowhere to be seen. He looked around. Bruce was hacking the Joker's cell - unrelenting in his personal vendetta. Dick ran towards Bruce. But Deathstroke's blade hit his shoulder making Nightwing hiss in pain.

"You should watch out", Slade examined the bloody katana, "You would be a dead bird if I had poisoned it."

"Are you serious, B?", Dick screamed at his mentor ignoring Deathstroke's gloating.

His ribs were killing him. Bruce hadn't put a lot into the punch - but he was still Batman.

And his throat felt as if Bruce had squeezed it out like a lemon.

"You can handle Slade on your own", the Joker's cell opened and Bruce closed the door behind himself.

Dick couldn't follow with his broken wrist computer. He cursed.

Deathstroke seemed amused. He held his katana to Dick's throat: "Follow Batman and I'll finish what your mentor has already started."

"Look, Slade. I don't have time for this right now. Maybe another occasion? We can meet up on some roof and let me kick your ass later."

"Nice try, kid. I want you to make a decision."

Slade sounded so reasonable. Certainly, calmer than Bruce. It was scary.

Dick had to take care of Slade quickly and then think about what to do with Bruce. He shouldn't be surprised by Bruce's actions. But it was shocking that not even a common enemy could hold their crumbling partnership together anymore.

Dick was stressed. And when he reached the end of his rope, he fell back to his natural state: Being a performer.

So he swayed and grabbed his throat. Dick sank to the floor feigning to lose consciousness. Deathstroke cursed and mumbled something about not losing his apprentice to the Bat before he'd even gotten him. Slade reached to feel Dick's pulse. It was twisted that Deathstroke cared more about Dick's well-being right now than his own guardian.

Dick beat Deathstroke under the chin with the end of his escrima stick. It was a powerful hit against a vulnerable spot. Slade stumbled back. Everyone else would have already been knocked out right now.

But Slade cleared his head and blocked Dick's attack: "You are getting ruthless. I like it."

"Let's end this game, Slade."

_Quickly. Before his mentor was lost forever. _

The odds were increasingly stacked against Nightwing. Dick forced himself to be confident. He could beat Deathstroke. It would cost him a lot, but he was Nightwing. He managed to keep order in the (loveable) hellhole that was Blüdhaven. If odds mattered, Dick would have been dead by now.

The last time he had faced Deathstroke he had still been Robin and had painfully lost. But he had changed in the last few months. Nightwing couldn't depend on anyone. He would grit his way out of this mess by pure determination.

"Oh, it hasn't even started", the mercenary must be grinning under the mask, "But I'm tired of this game. Let's try something more exciting."

Slade pulled out a remote and pushed a button. Dick waited - his body tense. He waited for the shock that would finally knock him down. A fall so deep that not even determination could save him.

And it came. All the cell doors opened except for the Joker's and the one where the Team was still being held in. Gotham's villains left their cages on the hunt for blood.

"He's all yours", Deathstroke backed away grinning at the villains, "Rip this bird apart."

Nightwing's eyes widened. He looked to Bruce who was screaming at a bloodied Joker.

Dick swallowed his pride: "I could use some help here, B."

Batman didn't let himself be distracted from the Joker. He had repeatedly tried to reach out towards Bruce but no matter what he did it was never enough. And in return, Bruce always expected that Dick jumped at every order. It was tiring. It tore at his foundation. And Dick had enough of it.

"BATMAN", Dick screamed repeatedly.

He swallowed his dignity along with his pride: "BATMAN. HELP. I need help."

Bruce ignored him – caught up in his world of revenge. Dick's vocal cords were too strained to keep on screaming. A cough worked its way up his throat. It stayed there leaving an icky feeling.

Now, Dick was really pissed. He had broken his promise of never asking Bruce for help again. All for nothing. Bruce didn't care. Dick had known that before going to the asylum. But now Dick knew how deep Bruce's indifference was.

"You are on your own, little Robin", Deathstroke grinned, "Tell me if you need help. But know one thing: I always want something in exchange."

"I won't become your apprentice, Slade."

"Then die."

Dick's throat was dry. He looked to Selina: "Catwoman-"

She flipped away to the end of the corridor: "Forget it, kid. I'm not touching that with a ten-foot pole. Not even for you."

His team was fully up again. They knocked at the glass. Artemis insulted Slade in Vietnamese. M'Gann tried to invade the villain's minds or to phase through the glass. But she was still weakened from the fire and the tranquilizer. Connor hit against the glass with all his might but this cell was built to withstand the likes of Clayface or Killer Crock. A weakened half-Kryptonian stood no chance.

Dick was on his own. Truly alone.

His team would watch him get ripped apart.

* * *

**AN: And another cliffhanger… I'm really torturing you (and Dick) with them. It's really fun writing the dynamic between Dick and Slade. It was one of the best things about the Teen Titans cartoon. He'll always be SLAAADE for me now. :)**

**Next week it's Nightwing against Gotham's villains. Let's see how he holds up…**


	13. Chapter 13

13\. Wally

Rarely had Wally felt so powerless. He was useless – caught in a cell while his best friend was facing off against Batman's rogue's gallery. Wally glared at the Dark Knight who was still torturing Joker in the other cell. Seemingly oblivious to what was happening in the hallway.

Dick was going into a fighting stance. He narrowed his eyes looking for potential weaknesses.

"Can Batman at least hurry up if he wants to kill Joker?", Artemis balled her fists.

Clayface was the first to run at Dick – Mr. Freeze right behind him. The acrobat flipped out of the way and dropped a smoke bomb. There were loud thuds. Clayface was uncontrollably lashing out beating everything in his way. The Team couldn't see who he was hitting between the smoke. Wally prayed that Dick had gotten out of the way.

The temperature in the cell dropped. Mr. Freeze must be pointing his ice ray at everything that moved. It was an uncoordinated mess and Dick was caught right in the middle of it.

"Where do they have all their weapons from? What kind of prison is this?", Wally asked.

Aqualad still sounded strained – a side effect of being near fire and tranquilized afterwards: "Either Deathstroke set this all up or-"

"Arkham is incompetent", Artemis finished.

"Both is possible", Kaldur said.

The thudding stopped and Wally held his breath: "Do you think Nightwing is-"

The smoke cleared. Clayface was standing there motionless. Frozen.

Nightwing was on the other end of the hallway taking out Professor Pyg from behind.

"He could actually make it", Wally vibrated out of excitement, "Go Rob!"

"He's using the fact that villains couldn't do teamwork if their lives depended on it", Connor grinned.

Mr. Freeze screamed in annoyance. He pointed his ice ray at Dick. Nightwing jumped over the beam and used Mr. Freeze as a springboard to lunge himself at Killer Crock. Mr. Freeze sprung around - clearly even more irritated.

A beeping disk clung to Freeze's device. Dick must have planted it there when he jumped over the villain. The disc exploded destroying Freeze's device and knocking him unconscious.

Meanwhile Dick was hanging on Killer Crock's back. The villain clawed at Nightwing and jumped back against the glass windows trying to crush the hero. Dick pulled out multiple syringes and plunged them through Crock's thick skin all while evading Crock's claws and being squashed like a bug. The animal-man swayed but he was still dangerous throwing himself even more desperately against the windows.

Dick stabbed at Crock again. It was the fourth syringe. Wally had counted. Crock showed signs of slowing down but so was Dick. The mutant tore Nightwing from his back and threw him to the floor.

Dick flipped in the air and landed in a crouch. But Crock sank his teeth into Nightwings thigh and grabbed his arms. Dick screamed in pain trying to get Crock off of him. But his struggles were useless. Wally pounded against the window yelling curses at Crock.

"Maybe I should eat you", the crocodile-man pinned Nightwing down.

His bloody teeth neared Nightwing's throat but before he could bite, he fell down. Unconscious.

Dick halted for a moment catching his breath. He struggled when rolling out from under Crock. Dick stood on shaky legs. Blood was running down his left thigh. Nightwing swayed and propped himself up on a cell window. He seemed paler than usual and gasped for air.

Wally's stomach rebelled. This fight wasn't over. His friend was still going up against incredible odds. All while his mentor was pounding the Joker to a bloody pulp.

Wally wanted to do something. Something that made him less useless. The stress made him vibrate.

"You can do this, bro", Wally said, "We need you."

Dick looked up. Lines of exhaustion were etched into his face.

"Time to get thraught", Wally said.

Dick smiled and seemed to want to answer but a coin hit the glass next to his head – creating a little crack. Two-Face grinned insanely.

"These can't be normal coins", M'Gann said.

"Who knows what Two-Face did with them", Artemis shivered.

Nightwing forced himself back up again and evaded Two-Face's flying coins. He did well until Poison Ivy came out of nowhere attacking with her vines. They reached for his ankle.

Where the hell had the lady grown a plant from?

Dick cut the plants with his Wingdings and flipped out of the way of the coins. One of them hit the window in front of Wally's face. His throat tightened at the crack in the glass. Dick was deliberately moving in front of the team's cell trying to get Two-Face to destroy the glass. But the cracks were only slowly growing while Nightwing was visibly slowing down.

Dick seemed to be calculating something. Wally noticed the little cues. How his friend looked around the room noting distances. How he took one deep breath to prepare himself. His friend was thinking about taking a risk.

Dick halted for a moment throwing his escrima stick at Two-Face's forehead. Then he fell to the side to evade the coin Two-Face had thrown. The escrima stick hit Dent's face. Two-Face fell to the floor – unconscious. But Dick hadn't emerged out of the confrontation unscarred.

He was lying on the floor. Trembling. The coin lodged in his previously uninjured leg. Dick had calculated the risk. He had known that he would only be able to precisely hit Dent if he halted for a moment. But one moment had been enough for Two-Face to cause damage. Both of Dick's legs were injured. And Ivy was still going strong. She watched Dick's trembling form with a nasty smile on her face.

Nightwing stood up – leaving the coin in his leg. His legs were shaking and blood was running down both of his thighs. But he gritted his teeth and remained upstanding only supported by a nearby cell window.

"Seems like you aren't doing so well", Deathstroke laughed, "I could assist you."

"I'd rather die than let you assist me", Dick's voice was bitter.

The thought made Wally tremble more. Blood dripped from Nightwing's legs onto the floor. It was a sickening sight. Wally suppressed the need to vomit. Why was he so useless? How could some stupid glass wall keep him from saving his friend's life?

"Only Ivy left", Connor said, "He can do this.

"You forgot Scarecrow", M'Gann shivered when thinking about the villain.

"Shit", Artemis cursed, "He must be up to something."

Ivy's vines again reached for Dick's ankles. He cut them with his Wingdings. But Ivy sent a bigger vine towards him - throwing him back. Nightwing's head collided with the floor. Wally heard the crack.

Dick seemed disoriented. His gaze flew through the hallway.

A vine wrapped itself around his ankle. Ivy pulled him towards herself in a painfully slow manner.

"She's drawing this out", Artemis hit against the glass in frustration.

"Look what I caught", she smiled to herself and looked at Batman, "Hey, Bats. How about you watch the show? It would be a waste if I killed your sidekick without you as my audience."

Batman didn't respond. He didn't even seem to notice her. His gaze was glued to the Joker who was writhing in laughter on the floor.

Dick seemed to regain some of his awareness. He took out another Wingding and tried to cut the plant. But another vine ripped the Wingding out of his hand and threw it away. Dick frantically tried to reach it. He was leaving a trail of blood.

Slade leaned against the wall clinically watching the scene: "I could still assist you, apprentice. Your display showed... potential."

"Piss off", Dick's voice was weak.

Ivy's vine wrapped itself around Dick's torso lifting him into the air. The plant lady seemed frustrated. She glared at Batman: "Fine. I'll just finish him off and leave him for you to find."

The vine tightened around Dick's torso. There were multiple cracks as Nightwing's rips broke under the pressure. Ivy was slowly suffocating him. He whimpered weakly.

"HEY BATMAN", Wally screamed, "How about you do your job and actually save people?"

Bruce seemingly did not notice Wally. He was leaning over the Joker with a Batarang leaving precise cuts. Cuts to torture but not to kill. Batman was drawing this out all while his son was dying. Could revenge really make a person so single-minded? Wally shuddered.

Not even Dick would be able to get himself out of this one. Catwoman had left. Batman had only his mission in mind. It fell to Wally to act. To stand by his bro's side. Quickly. Dick's head was sinking forward as Ivy pressed the life out of him.

Wally focused on the shaking in his body. He remembered Uncle Barry's instructions. If he would ever be able to vibrate through solid objects, it would be now. Wally had never shaken so heavily in his life. The thought of losing his best friend in front of his eyes was unbearable.

Wally took a deep breath and ran towards the glass.

He expected a collision. But he ended up in the middle of the hallway. Wally blinked in surprise. It had worked. He ripped himself out of his stasis. Wally ran towards Ivy and crashed into her with pure speed. The vine around Dick loosened itself. Wally caught his friend before he could fall to the floor.

Dick's eyes were half-closed. He looked up to Wally trying to form a sentence.

"Stay still, bro. I got you", Wally tried to be as gentle as possible.

Every shift of Dick's broken ribs could prove fatal. Wally ran to the door at the end of the corridor. It was still closed electronically. He could vibrate out of this hellhole but he couldn't take Rob with him. Maybe Barry could do something like that but Wally didn't trust himself to get his bro to the other side.

It had the potential to do more harm than good.

Wally carefully set Dick down. He could finally make out what Dick was saying: "Bruce."

"He's an asshole", Wally said.

"Stop him", Dick's eyes closed themselves.

Typical. Even when half-dead Rob could only think about others.

"Please", he slurred, "I- Important to me-"

Wally bit his lip: "I'm stopping him if you promise to stay awake."

He did as much first aid as he could opening a compartment at his arm (where he usually stored food) and took out a bandage. He had known that they would need it.

"Pro- Promise", Dick mumbled and forced his eyes back open, "S- See?"

Wally finished bandaging Dick's thigh and took one second to admire his work.

Wally hated that after all this Dick was still thinking about Bruce. But he had made a promise. And they needed Batman's hacking skills anyway to get out of here. Wally had to be quick. Dick didn't have much time. Thank God, Wally was a speedster.

He didn't want to leave Dick. But there was no other option. Wally ran towards the other end of the hallway evading the bodies of the unconscious villains.

It was suspicious that Deathstroke wasn't doing anything. The guy had to be planning something. But Wally had no time to think about that. Wally bit his lip and vibrated into Joker's cell. Now that he had experienced the feeling of his molecules being ripped apart, he could replicate it.

The cell was coated in blood. And pure rage radiated from Batman's stance. He was furious. Normally, Wally would be scared. But after what Batman had done – or failed to do – not even the Dark Knight could match Kid Flash's anger. He rammed into the Dark Knight.

* * *

**AN: I really put Dick through the wringer in this one. But it was necessary as this is a major turning point in the story. Next week we'll finally finish the 'Arkham arc' (as I'm starting to call it). I hope you've enjoyed until now. I really love writing Dick's and Wally's friendship – as you've probably noticed.**

**I took a bit of inspiration for the fight from the "the Batman" episode "Rumors". Basically Batman and Robin fight the entire Rogue's Gallery in it. They are able to take them out through smart team work while the villains are an uncoordinated mess. It's quite a fun fight and one of the best episode from what I've seen of the show.**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Special shout-out to Sunshine-Midnight123 who keeps leaving nice comments for this story. It always makes my day to see that someone is following and enjoying this. **

**As promised, the end of the Arkham-mini-arc. It will shake things up quite a bit…**

* * *

14\. Bruce

Something slammed into Bruce at considerable speed. He was thrown against the wall losing the Batarang that he had used to draw cuts into Joker. The bastard did not deserve to die with one quick stab. He should suffer as much as Jason had. If that was even possible.

Bruce still dreamed about it every night. Racing towards that warehouse pushing his car to its limits. Only to be too late. The flames erupted into the sky bringing the ceiling down with them.

Bruce jumped out of the car. Praying that his boy had made it out in time. That he was wrong. That Jason was being held somewhere else. But Batman was never wrong. He climbed over the rubble ignoring the heat. He noticed the tattered remains of the Robin-costume first.

Bruce threw the rubble aside pulling Jason out. He was barely recognizable. His eyes were closed and his skin was charred black by the burn marks. What the flames didn't reach, the crowbar had already destroyed. Bruises and blood covered Jason's body.

Bruce knew that it was too late. He still spent the next hours doing CPR desperately trying to get his boy – his son – to breathe again. But even Batman had to give up at some point.

And then the tears fell.

Bruce had forgotten how it felt like to be shaken by sobs and to be plagued by the empty feeling in his chest. Crying over the dead body of someone he loved and knowing that he had failed them. He had repressed the memory for his whole adult life. Jason's death had ripped all of the wounds open. It made him feel like the helpless boy in Crime Alley again.

Joker deserved every little moment of pain. And Bruce would make sure that there were many of them. Bruce's eyes were glued to the laughing clown.

Kid Flash pushed him back. He must have been truly distracted if the annoying speedster had gotten the drop on him. Couldn't Dick have another best friend?

Kid Flash was trying to tell him something. But his voice didn't get through Bruce's rage.

"Nightwing", Kid Flash said, "…injured…stop being an idiot…"

Bruce tried to shove him aside.

Flash Boy got increasingly desperate: "…almost dead… your son."

_His son? _Bruce frowned. In his rage he had forgotten about Dick. Where was he? Was he still fighting Deathstroke? Bruce thought that he would have been finished by now.

Batman calculated if it was worth breaking Kid Flash's leg to get back to the Joker. Speedsters were easy to bring out of commission. And right now, one of them was the only thing standing between him and his last mission: Killing Joker and avenging Jason.

Then, Flash Boy slapped Batman in the face. Bruce's rage got overshadowed by surprise.

"Nightwing is dying", Kid Flash screamed at him, "So do your damn job and save your son's life. You owe him at least this."

Bruce frowned – confused: "I thought he could hold his own against Deathstroke."

Flash Boy almost tore his hair out: "He needs you right now. You'll lose another son if you don't act now."

Bruce looked up from Joker. A bunch of unconscious villains were lying around and a very relaxed Deathstroke leaned against the wall. Dick sat against the door on the other side of the corridor and he looked horrible. Jason's battered body flashed before his eyes. Dick looked uncomfortably like him right now.

Bruce's stomach churned. But Dick still seemed alert. He lifted his chin slightly searching for eye contact with Bruce. Bruce bit his lip – torn between avenging his dead son or protecting the one he still had left.

Dick seemed to hold on. He could handle it if Bruce spend another small moment ending the clown. Bruce threw a bola around Flash Boy's legs making him tumble to the floor.

Then he was back at Joker's throat holding a Batarang to his skin: "I wish I could make you suffer more but my son is in pain and I have to take care of him."

Joker just laughed: "You took great care of your other kid. The stupid one. Walked directly into my trap."

The anger inside Bruce flared up again. He punched the bastard.

"Something is going on", Wally freed himself from the bola.

The Team suddenly seemed panicked pointing to the other end of the hallway. They screamed trying to get Batman's attention. Gas filled the hallway and Dick's scream made Bruce shiver.

"Shit", Wally was shaking, "We forgot Scarecrow."

Suddenly, Dick laughed - painfully so. The gas was tinged green. A mixture between Scarecrow's fear toxin and Joker Venom. Bruce growled and let his fists rain down on Joker: "You did this."

Wally shoved Batman away again. He pointed to the hallway. The gas was clearing. Dick was lying on his side curled into ball. He suppressed laughs and flinched away from an invisible figure. Bruce wondered what he was seeing. Probably the death of his parents. This moment had always been the most traumatic one in Dick's life.

Dick had handled fear gas before. Bruce would slide Joker's throat and then-

Dick's whimpering made him stop. He could finally make out what his son was saying: "P- Please don't kill me, Dad. I'm sorry. I- I shouldn't have gotten in the way."

Bruce froze. He felt like he had to throw up. Dick's biggest fear was being killed by Bruce? How could he think that Bruce would hurt him? Bruce loved the kid. Robin had brought light back into his life. If Dick hadn't become his son, Batman would have given in to revenge years ago.

But he had hurt his son. Multiple times. It had started after Jason's death when he had questioned every move Dick made. He had done it out of worry. Losing his eldest - like he had Jason - would make the guilt unbearable. Bruce wouldn't survive it. But his paranoia had only driven Dick away to Blüdhaven.

And even tonight he had fought Dick. Hell. Bruce had strangled him in an effort to get him unconscious. Handprints were starting to become visible around Dick's throat. Ugly reminders of what Bruce had done.

Dick was writhing on the floor. Caught between laughing, screaming in pain and coughing up blood.

Bruce let go of the Joker. He froze. What had he done? Dick had been hurt directly under Bruce's watch and he had done nothing to protect his son. No. Instead, Bruce had fought with him – seen him as another obstacle to his crusade.

The clown stopped laughing: "Come on Batsy. End it."

Kid Flash took Bruce by the shoulder and shook him: "DO something."

Bruce jumped out of his stasis. He ran towards the electronic door hacking it with his wrist computer. His hands were shaking.

He gave Wally two syringes. One an antidote for the fear toxin and the other for the Joker venom: "Give them both to him. I'm not sure if they will work."

Wally nodded and ran towards his best friend. Maybe Bruce had underestimated the speedster. He seemed to truly care for Dick.

Bruce wanted to get to Dick but he wasn't sure if he should get close to his son when the boy was still terrified of him. And the Team was still trapped in the glass prison. Superboy had stopped hitting against the window and instead laid on the floor clearly in pain. M'Gann was holding his hand and tried to soothe him.

How could he have done this to one of his son's best friends? What had he been thinking?

Bruce hacked the door. The Team glared at him when they left their cage. They ran towards Dick who was still alternating between laughter, screams and bloody coughs.

"THE ANTIDOTES ARE NOT WORKING", Wally screamed.

Bruce's chest felt like bursting. He had failed another son. He would lose Dick, too. Jason's death had already killed him but Dick's would serve the final blow.

Slade pulled a syringe out of his pocket. He definitely was grinning behind the mask.

"Are you in pain, apprentice? Laughing like that must really hurt with all these broken rips. Luckily, I have the antidote right here. You just have to say that I am your master."

"Screw you, Slade", it was a good sign that Dick was still conscious enough to mouth off towards the mercenary.

Bruce ran towards Deathstroke. But the assassin was prepared and side-stepped Bruce's attack.

"Anger makes you sloppy", Slade aimed his katana at Bruce's chest.

It slashed trough the Batsuit but only drew a shallow cut. Bruce kept trying to hit Deathstroke but the mercenary evaded his attacks. Slade was right. Anger made Batman sloppy and it made him even angrier to acknowledge it.

An arrow flew towards the back of Deathstroke's head. The mercenary spun around and caught it - taunting Artemis: "You think you can surprise me?"

The arrow exploded in his face. Superboy and Aqualad lunged at Deathstroke and pinned him down with their superstrength. Kid Flash grabbed the syringe out of Slade's hand. He ran towards Dick. His son had significantly calmed down. M'Gann had laid her hands on his temples. Her eyes glowed green as she looked down on him.

The Martian seemed pained: "I don't know how long I can calm him. His pain is- overwhelming."

Kid Flash emptied the syringe into Dick's neck. Batman glared at Deathstroke who was struggling and knocked him unconscious with one kick to the head. He used another tranquilizer to keep the mercenary down.

Then, he ran towards Dick only to be kept at a distance by a furious telekinetic Martian: "I won't allow you to harm him anymore. I saw what you did through his own eyes."

"I want to help him. He needs medical attention now."

M'Gann glared at Bruce. Her finger wandered towards her temple and Bruce felt something rummaging through his mind. He knew that she had mindblasted people to get information before. And he knew that she was currently fighting with herself to not rip his consciousness apart.

Bruce almost wished that she would do it.

Her icy voice echoed in his mind: _"I would love to. But you deserve to live with the pain you've caused."_

M'Gann fazed through the door speaking aloud: "I'll ready the Bioship."

The rest of the Team also glared at Bruce. He kneeled down next to Dick. His boy was still holding on but his cheeks were stained with silent tears and blood coated his lips. Bruce wished he could pull off Nightwing's mask to make sure that his eyes were still alive under there.

Connor picked Dick up. Bruce wished he could carry his son himself but he hacked the lock of the metal door instead. They hurried up the stairs and through the abandoned asylum. Bodies coated the floor. Arkham's employees had not been prepared for Deathstroke.

Outside, a commotion greeted them. Police vehicles had gathered in front of the asylum. Gordon was talking into a transmitter coordinating the raid. He seemed surprised to see the heroes. The Commissioner ran towards them.

Gordon stared at Nightwing: "We need some paramedics right now! What happened to him?"

Two men ran towards them with a gurney.

"The villains are unconscious in the corridor with the high security celsl. They need to be secured right now. Scarecrow is still on the loose", Batman growled, "Nightwing is under the jurisdiction of the League. We'll take care of him ourselves."

Dick looked up at Gordon forcing a smile: "Hello, Comish. Haven't seen you in a while."

Nightwing coughed clutching his broken rips. Blood sputtered down his chin.

"I won't let a kid die because of jurisdictions. He's bleeding internally. He needs medical attention right now", Gordon glared at Batman challenging him.

Connor decided the matter for both of them. He gently laid Dick on the gurney. The paramedics hurried towards the ambulance.

"I'm riding with him. I'm his best bro", Wally followed them jumping into the vehicle.

Bruce crossed his arms: "If someone finds out who he is-"

"I'll make sure that no one does", Gordon said, "I'm vouching for these paramedics. They're the most honorable you can find in Gotham - certainly more honorable than you."

Bruce's throat was dry.

Gordon pointed at Bruce: "I don't know what happened in there but I hope this time it wasn't you who did this to the kid."

Bruce remained silent. The Commissioner seemed to take it as an admission of guilt.

"I still have questions for Nightwing if he even makes it", Gordon stormed off.

"He's got courage", Kaldur said, "Putting Batman in his place."

The Bioship became visible earning them confused glances from the police force.

"M'Gann is impatient", Artemis said.

"I am, too", Connor stomped towards the ship.

Bruce followed. He still felt like throwing up. And he had to face the possibility that Dick could die because of Batman's mistakes.


	15. Chapter 15

15\. The Doctor

She had never paid attention to Gotham's vigilantes. A few times she had stumbled upon the obsessive blogs that posted blurry pictures of Batman and company. But they had never held her attention. If someone asked her: Gotham's vigilantes were doing a fine job and it wasn't her business to follow.

Only in the last few months had she paid more attention when more and more bodies arrived for her to stitch up. All of them marked by the fists of the Bat. The news had speculated on what drove the Bat towards violence. It was probably related to Robin's disappearance.

Still. It wasn't her business. She was only here to stitch up the carnage and shake her head about the Bat's anger issues. Rage grew within her every time she had to explain to a kid that some guy in a bat costume had punched their father into a coma. But what could she do?

Batman was creeping over the rooftops of Gotham while she spent her nights working away in the hospital. Their worlds were separate – only connected through nameless thugs.

Until they collided with full force. The kid – and he was a kid – arrived in the ER during a slow night.

The whole city had speculated that Nightwing was the first Robin. She had always thought that he was too old. How could a teen keep order in the hellhole that was Blüdhaven? And she was saying this as a Gothamite.

But when she saw him on the gurney, she was shocked by how young he was. And how small. He couldn't be older than sixteen. The bruises on his face and the handmarks around his throat made him look even more vulnerable.

The Flash Boy from Central City clung to his hand looking down at him with a frown. He vibrated out of fear and mumbled to his unconscious friend: "You gotta make it, Rob. What am I supposed to do without you?"

Her assistants exchanged excited glances at the nickname. Flash Boy had confirmed it. Nightwing was indeed the first Robin – as most of Gotham had suspected.

She steeled herself. It was always heartbreaking to see the reaction of loved ones in the ER. But she had to remain professional if she wanted to save the kid. And he desperately needed saving. He was covered in blood and it was hard to discern how heavy his injuries were.

She shoved Flash Boy away. He still held on to Nightwing's hand.

"Let go or I can't help him", she said.

Flash Boy dropped his friend's hand: "Please, Doc. We need him. He deserves better-"

She didn't get the rest. She was focused on making sure her patient didn't die under her hands. Her assistants wheeled him into the surgery room. The paramedics had done a good job. They had stabilized him and given him an oxygen mask to help him breathe.

"He really is Robin", one of her assistants said once the doors closed behind them, "I owe the kid. He saved my mother from some goons."

She took a deep breath: "I expect complete professionalism. He's a patient like any other. And no one touches his mask."

"Yes, boss", her assistants said.

"OK. Let's save the kid."

* * *

She sighed and mentally prepared herself for the talk that was to come. She didn't expect half of the Justice League to crash the waiting room. Batman, Black Canary, Superman, Flash and a ton of other heroes she didn't know.

The sidekicks were also here – who she recognized even less. They had gathered in a circle seemingly very familiar with each other. She saw Flash Boy. He was still shaking. A girl in green was holding his hand trying to comfort him.

The normal visitors stared at the superheroes with wide eyes. She didn't blame them.

She started to introduce herself: "I'm Dr. -"

"How is he?", Batman interrupted.

He was standing in a corner suspiciously separate from the other heroes. The rest of the League and especially the sidekicks glared at him. They probably didn't appreciate it that Batman had gone off the deep end. She had seen the video of the Dark Knight almost killing the Joker. Everyone had. And she suspected that Batman had something to do with Nightwing's condition. The large handprints around his throat would definitely fit. They probably didn't come from an every-day thug. And the video proved that Batman had already hurt Nightwing at least once.

She hoped she was wrong. Otherwise she wouldn't be able to hold herself back. As a mother, cases of child abuse always got to her. And Nightwing was a kid. No one could convince her otherwise.

"He will make a full recovery", she said, "Six of his ribs were broken and one of them punctured his lung causing internal bleeding. The bite wound in his leg is luckily not infected but we will have to keep an eye on it. And his windpipe was damaged but luckily we managed to fix it. His voice will need some time to return back to normal."

Batman subtly flinched at the mention of the windpipe – hardening her suspicions.

One of the sidekicks with the Superman-logo growled. He balled his fists. He probably didn't have heat vision because Batman's body was still intact.

The Dark Knight ignored the tight atmosphere and nodded: "I hope no one took off his mask."

It annoyed her that _this_ man dared to question her integrity.

"I can personally vouch for myself and everyone taking care of him. Robin saved the life of my assistant's mother. We do not want him to be harmed."

"I hope you're telling the truth", Batman narrowed his eyes, "I want him moved to the base of the League right now. We will take care of him."

She had seen in the video how _well_ Batman took care of Nightwing but she knew better than to mention it: "He is in no condition to be moved. I won't risk my patient's life after pulling him from the brink of death."

Batman walked towards her. She crossed her arms.

Superman flew between them: "We should listen to the Doctor's professional opinion. Still, we can't risk that Nightwing's identity could be compromised. I propose that the League stations guards outside his room to make sure that he stays safe."

She looked at Superman and frowned. She wasn't keen on strangers getting in her way but it was a compromise: "Alright. But no one can visit him right now. He needs rest. We found traces of toxins in his blood."

"A mixture of Joker venom and Scarecrow's fear toxin", Batman said.

The Leaguers exchanged alarmed glances. Apparently, they hadn't known about this. She had seen the effects of both toxins on her patients. What the hell had happened to the kid?

"I'm taking the first shift", Batman said.

This seemed to push the scowling Superman-clone over the edge. He stomped towards Batman and smashed him in the face. The Dark Knight went to his knees. The Superman-sidekick lifted his fist as if to strike again. But his mentor flew between them.

"Hurting people unprovoked is never an option", Superman said.

The sidekick ignored him and glared at Batman who was wiping blood from under his nose: "Don't you dare act like you care about him. You almost strangled him."

"I calculated the exact amount of time to get him unconscious", Batman's voice was ice-cold.

It seemed like a façade to her. As if Batman was putting on an extra-tough exterior to hide any regret.

"BULLSHIT", the girl in green said, "You weren't in control. You put more force into it than you had planned."

"Not to forget that you don't strangle your son in the first place", the boy with gills(?) said.

The Justice League seemed speechless. They really hadn't known what happened. On closer inspection, they looked a little bit roughed up as if they had been in their own fight.

So the doctor took it into her hands: "Leave my hospital."

Batman looked up in what must have been surprise.

"You heard me right. Your presence will ultimately worsen his condition."

Batman growled: "He's my son."

She crossed her arms – unyielding in her demands. Batman glared at her leading to a duel. After a few seconds, he turned around and left the waiting room.

She smiled in satisfaction. The world-ending hero-business may be above her competence level. But in her own little sphere she would always make sure that her patients were safe.

Especially if they were kids.

* * *

Nightwing woke up earlier than expected. He constantly asked to see his friends while almost all of the superhero community showed up wanting to see the kid. Especially the team of sidekicks proved to be persistent.

But she had to think about her patient. There certainly were tensions in the hero community and she could not determine which visitor might prove stressful for the kid. So, she didn't allow any for a week until she could be sure that he could handle it.

It was the right decision. In the first few days, he mostly slept only opening his eyes to eat the liquid hospital food designed to go easy on his strained throat. His voice was raspy but he made bits of conversation with her.

On day four, he became more active. But he was still pale from the blood loss and he seemed unfocused. Slinging his arms around himself when he thought no one was looking. She wondered if he even noticed that he was going into a defensive stance. Something clearly was wrong with the kid. His body would make a full recovery but she doubted that he would ever be completely the same. Hopefully, the heroes would give him the support he needed.

He clearly wouldn't be getting it as a civilian.

Gordon came on day five. He left the room tearing at his hair in frustration. He cursed the secretiveness of the Bats under his breath. She looked at him in pity.

"Nothing?", she asked.

"We have enough evidence to press charges for child abuse. But how are supposed to make a case if we don't even know any names? Hell. I don't even know how old the kid is."

"I expected him not to talk", she said.

Gordon sighed: "Nightwing – Robin – he means something to me. I still remember him from when he was half as tall as he is now, balancing on gargoyles and butchering the English language."

"We can only do our best."

"It's frustrating to have something clearly be above your paygrade so that we can't reach it."

"Who are you telling this, Commish?", she threw him a sympathetic glance.

The sidekicks came after Gordon left - again pestering her to see their friend. She sent them away. Gordon's visit must have been stressful enough. She had wondered why specifically Nightwing was so popular. He wasn't part of the Justice League. He didn't have any of the fancy powers and he was the (former?) protegee of the grumpiest superhero around.

She understood now. The kid's charisma was infectious. After a few days he was on first-name basis with every one of his caretakers in the hospital. He asked them about their kids, their hobbies and told them crazy anecdotes about the superhero-life. She understood Gordon's frustration. The kid had grown on her – just like the rest of the sidekicks.

On day seven, they had their longest conversation yet.

"Hi, Doc", he smiled widely at her.

She had no choice but to reciprocate it. She did the usual check-ups trying to avoid staring at the scars crisscrossing his body. Was that a brand on his chest? It looked like a 'J'.

"Flash Boy and the team were here yesterday", she gave him some kind of gaming console, "He wanted me to give this to you."

"Hell, yes. KF is the best", he took the console examining it closely rambling about some video game titles that were apparently super-asterous (whatever that meant).

He halted: "Was Batman here?"

She couldn't decipher the emotions on his face. It seemed to be a mixture of hope, fear and anger.

"No", she said.

His face fell: "Oh. I guess he's busy."

"He hurt you, didn't he?", it fell out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

It was a stupid question. They all knew that Batman had mistreated his protegee.

"He did", Nightwing said.

It surprised her: "Then why didn't you tell Gordon?"

Nightwing hesitated. He looked down at the sheets and said with still a raspy voice: "I don't want him to end up in prison or whatever. He may be a bastard now but I'll always owe him. I would be nothing if he hadn't done what he did."

"Sounds unhealthy to me, kid."

Nightwing shrugged: "It's just the truth. He gave me a chance when no one else would. And I probably told you too much."

She frowned. From what he had said, it didn't seem like Batman was his father like widely speculated.

"Your secret is safe with me. I don't care about the hero stuff. Just about my patients."

He bit his lip – as if he was thinking about something.

She was walking towards the door when he said: "Could I ask you for advice, Doc? You seem smart in that kind of thing."

She turned around. When he stayed silent, she sat on the chair next to his bed. As an ER doctor, she normally didn't get close to patients but people above her paygrade had chosen for her to be his personal physician during his stay.

Nightwing evaded her gaze: "I don't think I can see him right now."

"You shouldn't", she said, "He is harming you."

"I hate him right now. But he isn't this monster that people call him. He's always been different. And I've always done what he said without question. It was the condition for him allowing me to – you know – help people. It worked most of the time", Nightwing clenched his fists around the blanket, "But I can't do it anymore. He has a lot of issues and he needs help. And usually I am trying to keep it together for him. But I can't anymore. It's too much."

He lowered his gaze: "I must sound really pathetic."

"You don't. You can't take on everyone else's problems. It will consume you if you do. Sometimes you need to think of yourself first."

"I don't think I'm good at that."

She took his hand trying to offer a sliver of comfort: "How old are you, kid?"

"I can't tell you that."

"You are a teenager. You shouldn't have to worry about taking on your dad's responsibilities."

"What do you mean?"

"Spend some time with those nice friends of yours. And take some distance from Batman until you each have sorted out your problems. If he cares for you, he'll understand. And he'll work on his problems."

"I'm not sure if he does."

"Then he doesn't deserve you. You don't owe people loyalty who only hurt you in return."

He bit his lips. She waited for him to take it all in.

"Thank you, Doc", he fiddled with the gaming console, "You really know your stuff."

"I hope so for the sake of my patients."

He grinned.

"Tomorrow I will allow your friends to see you. Only them. The rest of the League has to wait."

"If Batman comes, can you tell him that I need some time?", he said.

She nodded: "I promise. He won't set a foot into this room."

The Doctor went outside. She greeted Aquaman with a nod who was guarding the door. While she checked her clipboard something appeared in the corner of her eye. A breeze of wind turned the pages.

She looked up. Flash Boy was standing in front of her with unmatched eagerness.

The rest of the sidekicks walked towards her.

"Quit running in the hallway, Baywatch", the archer girl said.

"I must apologize for my teammate", the Atlantean said, "He misses his friend."

She suppressed a grin and sternly looked down at Flash Boy. He shrunk back and talked so quickly that she didn't understand him. The sidekicks certainly were a lively bunch.

"OK. You can visit him today."

"We can see, Rob?"

"He's recovered a lot in the last few days. But please tone it down a bit."

"Of course", the kid nodded in superspeed.

He forced himself to slowly walk through the door.

"KF? You are here?", she could hear the smile in Nightwing's voice.

"We wouldn't let you go through this alone, would we?"

"Asterous."

The door closed behind them and all that she got were snippets of impossible slang.

She shared a look with Aquaman was guarding the door. He shrugged. Teenagers were weird - especially if they were superheroes.

* * *

**AN: I tried an Outsider POV for this one. The emergency surgery-trope is very prevalent in fanfiction - rightfully so because you can do a lot of great things with it. Many authors manage to build a lot of suspense over whether our beloved characters survive. Often writing out of the POV of a loved one who fears for them. **

**I felt like this wouldn't work for this story because my main focus lays on Dick's and Bruce's relationship making it necessary that Dick survives. (And things will get interesting between them next chapter…) So I tried to keep things fresh with Outsider POV which can be very compelling. I like the idea of ordinary people doing the best they can and helping people in a less flashy way. **

**Just my thought process behind choosing this POV if anyone is interested. You can tell me if I succeeded in the comments. ;)**

**Another huge thank you to everyone who has been commenting, faving, following, reading… You guys are awesome and I hope you have a great day!**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: I'm back a bit earlier than usual. But I was quite excited about this chapter because it goes deeper into Dick's state of mind after Bruce's actions. Spoilers: It's not good.**

**As always, a huge thank you to everyone who has commented!**

**Sunshine-Midnight123: It made me very happy that you enjoyed the outsider perspective as it can be a bit tricky to get right at times. I tried to offer a fresh perspective on Dick's and Bruce's relationship without taking away from them. And, apparently, I succeeded in that. **

**williamslagun: You captured the complexity of Dick's relationship with Bruce really well in one sentence! He has this tendency of justifying Bruce's behavior which is quite unhealthy. I'll touch upon it in this chapter. So, your prediction is on point.**

**Guest: What a huge compliment! Thank you so much. As a writer, that means a lot to me.**

* * *

16\. Dick

Dick was quiet when Alfred drove him to the manor. His stomach clenched at the thought of seeing Bruce again. He didn't know how to react to the man that had used him in his quest for vengeance – betraying him multiple times.

Would Bruce be angry? Or would he try to mend the tattered remains of their relationship? Bruce had never apologized to Dick for anything. In the early years, he may have changed his behavior afterwards, but he had never admitted that he was wrong. And Dick had adjusted to that. He had learnt to read Bruce moods and to know what his mentor meant.

This unbalanced scale had worked when Bruce's mistakes had been small. Minor stuff like forgetting Dick's birthday and spending the whole day in the Cave. Batman was obsessive in his mission and everyone around him had to make sacrifices for that. He had been a flawed person but in the field he always used to have Dick's back.

Now, Dick wasn't sure anymore. If Bruce abandoned him while fighting someone of Deathstroke's caliber, there was no certainty anymore. Bruce knew that Deathstroke could easily kill Dick. The mercenary generally didn't because of his weird obsession. But if he grew bored of this disturbed game they played, he would just shoot Dick. Deathstroke didn't miss. And Bruce didn't care apparently.

Alfred stopped before the manor. Dick slung his arm around himself. The building seemed to tower over him. He wasn't even inside and it was already suffocating him.

Alfred looked at him with pity. Dick hated it.

"I'm fine", Dick tried to sound unaffected, "Is he there?"

"He's been spending most of the time in his room."

"Not in the Cave?"

"He isn't allowed to."

"As if this would stop him."

No one could make Bruce do something he didn't want to. Dick had tried but he had paid the price.

Alfred said: "He's been talking to Miss Dinah. It's one of her conditions. If he wants to become Batman and join the League again, he has to obey and better himself."

"So they're blackmailing him?"

"They're trying to make him better."

Dick snorted: "Bruce is a lost cause."

"Becoming Batman again isn't the only reason he's following the rules", Alfred looked at Dick.

He was implying something Dick knew to be false. His hands wandered to his neck. The soreness had almost vanished and only faint yellow bruises were left. Dick still had nightmares about Bruce staring him down while he squeezed the life out of him. Whatever reason Bruce had for playing according to the League's rule book – Dick wasn't one of them.

Dick felt pinned down by Alfred's gaze. He opened the car door and left as quickly as his injuries (and the annoying crutches) allowed him to.

"Master Dick", Alfred hurried after him, "Take it at least slowly if you won't use the wheelchair."

Dick stopped in front of the gates sighing in frustration: "Why am I here? I could have just gone back to Blüdhaven."

"Because I want to make sure that you recover. I feel like I've been failing you, Master Dick."

Dick looked more closely at Alfred. The butler had never looked as old as now. His usually immaculate posture was showing signs of tiredness. Bruce was even wearing Alfred down with his shit. A feat in itself.

"Bruce has been failing both of us", Dick said.

Alfred's gaze wandered to his shoes, "You were too young to live on your own - still are. Especially after losing your brother. He drove you out of your home – and I let it happen."

Dick was speechless. Alfred wasn't supposed to be like this. The butler didn't bow to anyone. He was the only one who could get through Bruce's thick skull – at least sometimes. Only nerves of steel could do that.

Dick could accept it if Bruce antagonized him. His mentor had shown enough times that Dick wasn't family to him. If Bruce decided to be emotionally detached, Dick would also see him akin to a coworker – even if it hurt. (He refused to say boss after Nightwing.) He would follow the Doc's advice and keep his distance. But Alfred was undeniably family to Bruce. And making _him_ suffer was a step too far.

Dick let go off the crutches and pulled the butler into a hug: "You did what you could. We both did."

To Dick's surprise, the butler slung his arms around him mindful of his injuries. Dick smiled. It was rare that Alfred let his guard down like that.

"Don't worry, I won't talk", Dick grinned – trying to lighten the gloomy mood.

He would get enough of that in the manor.

"What are you implying, Master Dick?"

"I won't destroy your image of a proper English gentleman."

Alfred stepped back. He smiled – almost mischievously: "You have my trust, Master Dick."

Alfred straightened his suit jacket while Dick picked his crutches back up. He was mostly using the leg that Dent's coin had hit. It hurt less than the one Crock had almost bitten off.

Dick's neck was tingling. He felt watched. Dick turned around only to see the curtain behind Bruce's window quivering. Of course. Bruce was probably reading their lips. He had forgotten how controlling living in the manor was.

Dick dragged himself towards the entrance. Alfred followed him looking at him in concern. He had missed this – kind of. The front door creaked when Alfred opened it. Another sign of Alfred's distress in the last few months. Usually, the butler would have never accepted this flaw.

Bruce's paranoid stalking would get really annoying. Dick sneakily glared at where he suspected his former mentor to be. He was doing this for Alfred. Bruce – the man who had repeatedly cast Dick aside – could go to hell.

Dick had stuck up for him long enough. It was time for him to get some self-respect. He wasn't Robin anymore. Nightwing wouldn't waste a thought on Bruce. The scale had tipped over. If Bruce wanted something, he should admit his damn mistake and approach Dick first. Dick was tired of adapting to Bruce and cleaning up after his emotional baggage.

Dick's resolve didn't last long. A few hours later, he was lying in bed waiting for sleep to come. Instead, voices of doubt creeped in. Why was Bruce so indifferent towards him?

Dick felt himself go into old thought patterns. Batman was never wrong. He had a reason for everything meaning that Dick had done something wrong. That he wasn't good enough to get Bruce's approval. Dick would laugh in desperation if Bruce turned up with another black- haired kid in the future. That would be the nail in the coffin for Dick's ego.

Dick groaned trying to focus on something different. But no mental technique could get Bruce's disappointed words out of his thoughts. They nagged at him even when he wasn't paying attention to them.

Too emotional. Too trusting. In other words: weak.

Nightwing had tried to be different than his mentor. More approachable. But where had it gotten him? Maybe Bruce was right and Nightwing's attempts at lightheartedness were signs of immaturity. Maybe it was time to grow up.

Dick pressed a pillow over his ears trying to silence the voices of doubt. They only got louder.

* * *

Dick spent most of his time sitting on the roof of the manor. Alfred crossed his arms in disapproval.

"Master Dick. You are worsening your injuries."

"It's fine, Alfie. Just enjoying the sun."

Alfred shook his head mumbling something about this family giving him a heart attack. He went back into the manor.

Dick was left pondering. It didn't help that his neck was tingling. He had been feeling like someone was watching him for quite a while now – someone different than Bruce. That someone did a surprisingly good job at staying undetected. But Dick had seen flashes of them.

He had avoided confrontation until now because he couldn't deal with that kind of stuff in his screwed-up state. But now he was tired of the constant feeling of being watched. It wouldn't vanish with the unknown stalker. Bruce would make sure of that. But at least Dick knew what to expect from Bruce.

Dick subtly examined the garden spotting a bit of black hair behind a bush. He threw his crutches to the patio below him. Alfred would be so angry if he could see his disregard for the expensive tiles. Dick climbed down using mostly his arms and trying not to step on his bad leg. His rips were still burning. But Dick ignored it.

He picked up his crutches and stepped towards the bush ready to use them to defend himself. A small boy flinched back when Dick's crutch was close to his face. His hair was pitch black (just as Dick's and Jason's) and he looked at Dick with wide blue eyes. Dick wondered how the kid got through Bruce's security system. He couldn't be older than twelve.

The boy shivered and his gaze flew around the garden looking for escapes. Sheepishly, Dick put the crutch back on the floor.

"Sorry", Dick said, "I expected someone more intimidating."

The kid opened his mouth but only stutter came out. He stared at the house as if he feared for any of the adults to return.

"It's fine, kid", Dick smiled his Grayson-smile, "I won't rat you out."

It seemed to make the boy less tense. He was clutching at a camera. Quite an expensive piece of equipment. The kind of stuff Bruce had given Dick when he was younger. It had always made him uncomfortable. Bruce had tried to develop the spoiled-rich-kid identity for Dick. But it hadn't worked out at all. He had broken it every time he had befriended one of the scholarship kids in school. So, Dick had settled for nerdy-former-circus-boy instead.

Dick frowned: "What are you doing here?"

"I- I'm a big fan", the boy stuttered, "From your Flying Grayson days. I saw you once. It was magical. I was very young but I remember every second of it. You were so cool. And then it happened."

Dick flinched at the allusion to his parents' deaths.

"I'm sorry", the boy shrunk back.

"Nothing to worry about, dude. Though you shouldn't creep into people's gardens. Not everyone is as chill about it as me."

"I'm sorry", the boy lowered his eyes.

Dick felt concern within him grow. The kid seemed very reserved. And, apparently, he was unsupervised enough to creep after others for weeks. It would be unsettling - but Dick didn't think that the kid was malicious. He seemed more neglected and in search for approval. Dick related more to that than he would ever admit.

He wanted to crouch but his injuries didn't allow it. So, he sat down on the grass. Dick gritted his teeth when he had to move his bad leg. The pain made him feel like an old man. Alfred would complain about the grass stains on his jeans.

"What's your name, kid?", Dick asked.

"Tim", the boy looked down at his feet.

"Drake", he added more quietly.

Dick didn't show his surprise. The Drakes were a big deal in Gotham. He remembered them from his gala days. Always too stuck up for Dick's taste. Every time he'd talked to them, they had pretended to be nice. But he had repeatedly overheard conversations where they had laughed with others about the dirty little circus-rat Bruce had taken in. Tim seemed too nice to have these assholes as his parents.

"You must be seriously smart if you manage to get through Bruce's security system. No one's more paranoid than him especially since-", Dick stopped himself.

"The death of Jason Todd?", Tim seemed to speak without thinking.

Dick winced: "Yeah."

"I read about it in the newspaper. I'm really sorry."

It was the third time that Tim had apologized to him within less than five minutes. He seemed genuine. Dick started to like the kid – even though he was a bit nosy. He hoped that Bruce wouldn't find him here. The chance was low. It was more like Bruce to send Alfred these days.

They hadn't spoken a word since Arkham. Dick had hoped that Bruce would at least try to approach him. Instead, his former mentor settled for avoidance or ignorance. One of the two. Dick couldn't discern anymore what it was. It was disappointing but it was better this way. Dick would just sit it out until he was healed again and return to Blüdhaven as quickly as possible.

"I- You are injured", Tim said.

"Happens on the trapeze", Dick said.

"They don't look like wounds you'd get from the trapeze", Tim challenged him.

"Maybe I got into a squabble or two. Don't tell, Bruce", Dick smiled.

"I know that you are Robin", Tim whispered.

Dick's breath hitched for a moment. But then he laughed: "That's an interesting theory, Tim. I think I've read it in some Gotham magazine. Do you want me to tell you who Batman is?"

"Bruce Wayne", Tim said with certainty in his eyes.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Tim. But I'm not Robin", it was technically true.

"You were the first Robin", Tim insisted.

"Where are your parents?"

"You are Nightwing now", Tim continued.

Dick cringed internally. This was getting out of hand.

"I won't tell. Don't worry", Tim looked earnest.

Dick set on his performance face. He smiled: "I think I should feel flattered. Robin's always been a cool guy. Saved me multiple times from all these kidnappings."

Tim crossed his arms. He sat in front of Dick: "It all matches up. Bruce Wayne adopts Jason Todd. A few months later a younger Robin is on the streets while Nightwing pops up. The new Robin vanished just when Jason Todd died. And Nightwing moved to Blüdhaven just like you did. And Batman became very aggressive."

"That's all very interesting, Tim-"

"I saw the video. Nightwing mentioned Zucco and that Batman's parents would be disappointed. Therefore, I concluded that Batman's parents are dead which matches Bruce Wayne. I also looked into Zucco. He has been in prison for years but he used to press protection money out of businesses. And he has been charged for the murder of the Graysons. And-"

"Tim, please", it felt painful having his whole screwed-up life laid out like that.

But Tim kept going on. The kid was in full detective-mode.

"-the first Robin was also incredibly acrobatic just like Nightwing is", Tim pulled out a high-tech phone and showed him a blurry video.

It was a Youtube-video taken from Dick's Robin days. Dick remembered that night. They had been fighting Dent on top of a skyscraper. (Dick had always had an aversion to Two Face). The criminal had shoved Dick off the building while Batman had been tied up to get back at the Dark Knight.

Even the grainy video captured Bruce's terrified scream. It had been one of the rare instances where Batman had shown emotion. Dick saw himself fall from the building. He had been terrified for the first few moments - his mind going back to his parents.

But Robin's fall became more controlled. He spread his arms stabilizing his body. He pulled off a quadruple summersault to get closer to the other side of the street. Robin used his grapple to slow his falls. His shoulder had almost been ripped apart that night. Dick shuddered at the memory. Robin landed on the street. Still painful but not enough to kill. He stood back up and limbed into the shadows. Dick had managed to free Batman afterwards who had taken all his rage out on Dent. Beating him to a pulp.

"Very impressive", Dick said.

"That's not impressive", Tim looked up at him, "That's insane. Not even Batman could pull that off."

Dick was still in thought. The video showed that Bruce had cared about him at some point. It took a lot to make Batman scream in fear. But the prospect of losing Dick had done it. Dick felt his eyes getting suspiciously wet.

"A professional acrobat could. A Flying Grayson. You were one of a handful people in the world to be able to perform a quadruple summersault – something that Robin did in this video. The age matches. It was you", Tim seemed unshakable in his conviction.

And Dick was too tired to argue anymore. He sneakily wiped away his tears. Tim seemed to notice them. He bit his lip and awkwardly put a hand on Dick's shoulder.

"You should leave, Tim, before he sees you", Dick's voice was shakier than he liked.

It was too late. Grass rustled and Bruce appeared behind Dick. He glared at Tim: "What are you doing in my garden?"

Tim shrunk back hiding the camera behind his back.

"Lay it off, B", Dick said, "The kid is terrified. And he didn't harm anyone."

Bruce ignored Dick. Not that that was anything new.

"What are you doing with that camera?"

"I- I-", Tim was unable to form words.

"Lay. It. Off", Dick glared at Bruce.

He hated that he couldn't get up right now.

"Get into the house", Bruce didn't even look at him.

It stung.

"So you don't have to deal with me?"

"I don't have to justify myself in front of you. You do as I say."

"I won't let you rip the kid apart."

Tim was shaking in fear looking at Bruce with wide eyes.

Bruce glared at Dick: "Get into the house. You are grounded."

"For what?"

"Disobeying an order."

"I'm an adult, remember? You can't tell me anything."

"You're sixteen. You're still my ward. If you keep disobeying me, you can forget going back to Blüdhaven."

It was too much. Dick used his crutches to lift himself up: "Why Bruce? You don't want me here anyway."

It hurt to stand like that. But Dick needed to prove a point. He hoped that Bruce would assure him that he still cared for Dick - like he would for a son. That he wanted to have him around. That Dick meant something to him.

But Bruce's face was blank. He took a deep breath: "Get. Into. The. House. NOW."

"Or what? You'll hit me?"

Bruce paled. He noticed that he towered over Dick and backed off avoiding his gaze. Was there shame in his eyes?

"I know that you're Batman", Tim said.

Bad timing. He had stirred the fire that was already searing within Bruce.

"That's ridiculous", Bruce said.

Dick sighed: "He told me his line of argument, B. We have to talk."

Bruce growled. He glared at Tim.

Bruce stomped back towards the manor having lost his usual collectedness. Dick didn't even try to keep pace with him. Tim followed him with concerned puppy-eyes. The kid was quite adorable.

"It will be fine, Tim", Dick assured him, "Bruce growls a lot but he's harmless most of the time."

"He hurt you."

Dick took a deep breath: "He did. But I won't let him hurt you."

Bruce sat at the kitchen table when they reached the manor. He looked at Tim with cold eyes: "Talk."

They sat down. Dick squeezed Tim's hand comforting the quivering boy. Tim relayed his line of argument.

"What do you want boy? Money?", Bruce said after Tim had finished.

"No, Mr. Wayne. Batman, sir."

"I think he wants something else", Dick thought about how sad Tim seemed.

He recognized a lonely soul when he saw one. The boy had probably hoped for some kind of recognition from his heroes. Bad timing. Tim seemed to get that a lot.

"I won't talk", Tim said, "I promise. Batman and Robin are my heroes. I would never harm them."

"I hope so for your own sake", Bruce said.

"Bruce, please. He's just a kid."

Bruce glared at Dick: "I told you to be careful with your fancy flips."

"Oh. So, I should have just fallen to my death? Carry on the family tradition?"

Bruce hesitated. The lines in his face softened – barely. It made Dick even angrier.

"I'd never want you dead."

This was as close as Bruce would get to showing affection.

"Really? I didn't notice that. It got lost in the times you actively tried to kill me", Dick stood up, "I can't stand it anymore. I'm leaving."

Bruce bit his lip. He evaded Dick's glare. Dick had never seen his guardian look so guilty – and it felt good.

"If you think you can run off to Blüdhaven while you're still injured-"

"I'm going to Wally's", Dick said.

Alfred stood in the doorway looking at the scene in concern.

Dick wanted to dramatically storm off. He was a performer after all. But instead he dutifully took his crutches and limped towards the door.

"I'm sorry, Alfie."

"I understand, Master Dick", Alfred glared at Bruce.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: I'm back. And this is a major one – with Tim putting his nose into things that aren't his business. But he does it anyway because he is a Robin.**

**I didn't really intend for Tim's behavior in the last chapter to be funny but looking back on it, it really was. There is not a lot to go off on about Tim from the show as he doesn't have a lot of screen time. (At least in season 2. I couldn't watch 3 yet because I'm outside of the US. Get on that DC)**

**I got the feeling that he was a bit of an awkward nerd. He seems to have a good brotherly relationship with Dick. The few scenes we got of them were a lot of fun to watch. These were the things, I tried to touch upon here.**

* * *

17\. Tim

Tim had been over the moon when Dick Grayson – the original Robin – had talked to him. More than that. Dick had defended him from Bruce Wayne – the Batman – of all people. Tim had hoped that Batman would have been more welcoming towards him but Bruce's distaste wasn't unexpected.

During his observations, Tim had seen the rage of Batman with his own eyes. It was the reason he was here. Originally, he had planned to convince Dick to become Robin again but after the fight he doubted that he would be able to. There was too much bad blood between Batman and his first partner – and Tim couldn't blame Dick for evading his mentor.

Bruce still glared at Tim even after Dick had left the room.

"Was that necessary, Master Bruce?", Alfred scolded, "You are pushing him away again."

"He's making it difficult. If he just listened."

"Why should he listen to you?"

Bruce hesitated.

"Trust is a frail thing. It takes care to rebuild and I'm not seeing you try."

"You sound like Dinah."

"Well. Miss Dinah seems to be right."

Bruce lowered his gaze to the table: "He's leaving again."

Tim felt like he was intruding on something personal. It wasn't his place. Still, it was fascinating to get an inside look into the Bats of Gotham. Even from the outside there had been large cracks showing to the public.

"How do I fix this, Alfred?"

"Give him space for now. And keep talking to Miss Dinah. It is the only thing you can do after this debacle."

Tim stood up. Alfred and Bruce were too caught up in their conversation to notice the small boy. He knew the rough lay out of the manor from looking up old blueprints and observing its inhabitants. (He was aware that he was a little bit obsessed.) Tim walked up the stairs and carefully knocked against a wooden door.

Nothing. There were hasty steps inside the room. And sniffling?

Tim hesitated. But he opened the door. Dick looked at him in surprise. His face was red and tears glistened on his cheeks. He was limping through the room – his crutches discarded and throwing clothes into a duffel bag. Tim noted how messy the room was.

Dick quickly wiped away his tears. He must have held them back during the fight.

"Didn't expect you here", Dick said.

He listlessly threw some socks into the bag.

"I wanted to make sure you are OK."

"I'm great", Dick wiped away another set of angry tears, "B can go fuck himself. Hope our screwed-up family is entertaining. Even though I don't feel like we are one anymore."

Dick sighed. He tried to take off the Flying Graysons poster that was hanging over his bed. He gritted his teeth in pain when he kneeled on the mattress.

"Wait. I can do it", Tim took off the poster from the wall and carefully rolled it.

Dick sat on the bed: "I'm sorry that you got pulled into this mess. I don't think B will bother you anymore."

"I kind of pulled myself into it."

Dick smiled at him under the tears: "You are crazy, Tim. And I mean that in the best way."

Tim hesitated. He tugged at his sleeves searching for words. Dick's compliments seemed to be genuine. Tim had intruded in his life and led to his newest fight with Bruce. Dick had every right to be angry with him. Instead, he comforted Tim while his world was breaking apart. To say that Tim felt guilty, was an understatement.

Dick pulled out his phone, his fingers flying over the screen.

There was an excited voice on the other side of the line: "What's up, Rob? You fine?"

"I'm kind of shit actually."

"B again?"

"B again."

Dick's voice broke: "I can't stand it here anymore, Walls."

"Wanna crash at my place?"

"Would Iris and Barry be fine with it?"

"Seriously dude. You used to kind of live at my place anyway. They always love to see you."

"Be there in five."

"I got a guest here", Dick looked at Tim, "Five minutes, Wally? You getting a lift from Superman himself?"

It was a transparent attempt to keep Kid Flash's secret identity.

"I know that he's Kid Flash", Tim said, "It was really obvious."

"Who's there, D?"

"A bit difficult to explain."

"Give me six minutes. Need some juice first if I want to carry your injured ass for hundreds of miles."

Dick smiled: "I thought I'm the small one."

"You are, Rob. But I don't pass up any chance to stuff my face."

"Kid Mouth", Dick teased.

He was visibly more relaxed under the tears.

"I'll be there in a flash."

"That wasn't funny the first time Barry said it. And not the other 200 times afterwards."

Wally snickered and ended the call.

Tim was excited at the prospect of meeting Kid Flash. But there was something he needed from Dick first. He shoved his guilt aside and concentrated on the objective he had aimed to achieve through his week-long observation (stalking).

"Batman needs a Robin."

"Batman needs therapy", Dick mumbled.

"He's losing his way without a Robin to keep him in check. Have you noticed how violent he has become?"

Dick stiffened. He slung his arms around himself – unconsciously searching comfort: "I've _noticed_ that very well, Tim."

It was the first sign of annoyance that Tim heard in his voice. He flinched. This could have really gone better. He had phrased his concern quite badly if he thought about it. Terribly actually.

Dick noticed Tim's flinch and sighed: "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped."

"I'm sorry actually. Talking isn't really my strength."

To Tim's surprise, Dick laughed: "We're a sorry bunch."

He clutched his ribs – still in pain.

Tim felt bad when he said: "Batman still needs a Robin. I thought that-"

"I'm not doing it again, Tim. Not under any circumstances. I have my own life now. And if B wants to be part of it, he sure as hell should put in some effort."

Dick sounded stilted as if he wasn't so sure himself.

Tim chewed on his lip wondering how he should break his idea to Dick. The first Robin wouldn't be a fan of it. Tim preferred to get his blessing, but he still wouldn't back off if he didn't get it.

"I thought that I could step up."

Dick tensed: "No."

"Why?", Tim asked.

Dick phrased his answer very carefully: "You are an incredibly smart kid and I'm not doubting your capabilities and determination but Robins never end up happy."

"It's my city and Gotham is suffering without Batman. Batgirl seems to be relatively capable but she's new. Gotham needs Batman."

"Batgirl?"

"I've been following her for a bit. She popped up a few weeks ago. I haven't been able to deduce her identity yet."

Dick sighed. He looked tired to the bone: "Great. Even more vigilantes for people like the Joker and Two-Face to rip apart."

"She's not as experienced as Batman and Nightwing of course. But she took on some drug rings relatively unscathed."

"Robin is no joke, Tim."

"I can learn how to fight. I've always been a fast learner."

"I'm not only talking about the physical. But the psychological. It takes a toll on your mind. Robin gets beaten, captured and worst of all: He has to work with Bruce. I love B. I still do even after all the shit he pulled. But he is intolerable to be around right now. And he's always been demanding."

"I'm used to people ignoring me. Contempt can't be worse than that."

Tim thought about his parents who spent most of their times on business trips and the changing slate of staff that was obliged to take care of him. Nothing was worse than being treated like nothing. He would even prefer Batman's hostility.

"Believe me. Bruce finds a way to make it worse. He has a way of making you do everything he wants without acknowledging any of it. He just expects you to jump the next time he needs something. And when you aren't enough anymore, he turns up with some new blue-eyed, black-haired kid", Dick fidgeted with his bag avoiding Tim's gaze.

He suspected that Dick had just told him some of his deepest insecurities. It wasn't enough to keep Tim away from Robin.

"I can't let him get his clutches on you, too", Dick said.

"He's a hero."

"He is. But he also is a horrible person."

"He took you in."

"And I'll always be grateful to him. He's always been obsessive, paranoid and closed-off. But at least he tried when I was younger. He at least treated me as a ward. Now I'm a disposable soldier. And you will be, too. I won't let him do this to you."

"I can deal with being a soldier. I'm not looking for a family."

"Really? Then what drives a boy to obsessively follow strangers with a camera?"

Tim cringed. Dick made it sound really bad – what it probably was. But Tim loved his parents. They were great when they were home.

Dick sighed: "I can't let you be Robin. But I can still be there for you."

He gave him a communicator in Nightwing's black-and-blue design. Tim's inner fanboy yearned to examine every angle of this thing.

"Call me if you need help. Or if you want to talk."

"I will", Tim was still in awe.

"Promise me to not pursue Robin any further", Dick said, "It's time for him to rest."

"He does good for Gotham."

"But Gotham is no good for him."

"I can't promise you that."

Dick looked sad. He tussled Tim's hair: "Be careful."

"No more attempts to keep me from being Robin?"

"It takes a special kind of person to be Robin. Someone who doesn't let themselves be deterred from wanting justice. Nothing I do can change that. Jason was the same. He had this aggressive exterior but under all of it he really wanted to help people. He knew how it felt to suffer and he never wanted anyone to go through the same. He is- was a lot like Bruce in that regard."

Tim bit his lip. He analyzed Dick's features. The teenager was still fiddling with the straps of his bag. He looked out of the window - deep in thought.

"What about you?", Tim asked.

"I'm the happy Robin", Dick smiled, "Don't you know?"

It was scary how convincing the smile was. Tim would have believed it if it hadn't been for their prior conversation. Dick was a true performer.

"Wally should be here soon. At least if he wasn't distracted by some fast-food restaurants on the way."

Dick gritted his teeth when he stood up and put weight on his injured legs. Tim wondered why he wasn't taking a wheelchair. But Dick had probably refused. He tried to pick up his bag and looked for a way to balance it with the crutches. Tim took it from him. It was disheartening to see his heroes like this.

"I can't keep you from being Robin", Dick said while he dragged himself towards the door.

He cursed when he had to open it. Tim did it for him. If Dick was embarrassed, he didn't show it.

"But I can warn you. There's something inside of Bruce that drives him to sacrifice everything for the mission. I'm always on the edge of becoming like him. If I don't leave, I will end up like this, too. Don't let him drive you to this point", Dick looked around the room, "By the way, Bruce. I know that you're listening. I know that you've been bugging the whole manor and that you tried the same in Blüdhaven. Don't even think about doing it at Wally's."

Tim frowned. Dick left the room walking down the stairs and hiding his pained expression behind a forced smile.

Alfred waited at the end of the stairs looking up at them in disapproval.

"Master Dick-"

"It's fine, Alfie."

Alfred shook his head but there were hints of a fond smile. They probably had had variations of this conversation a thousand times.

Bruce was nowhere to be seen. Dick hugged the butler.

The older gentleman nodded in understanding: "Get well, Master Dick. And call me."

"I will."

The doorbell rang. Alfred opened the door to reveal Wally in Kid Flash get-up.

"Dude", Wally looked Dick over, "You look like shit."

"Why are you my friend again?"

Wally zipped towards Tim holding out his hand: "I'm Kid Flash by the way. You the one Rob mentioned?"

"Yes. I'm Tim."

"Bruce adopting black-haired kids again?"

"Not if I have a say about it", Dick muttered.

He tousled Tim's hair: "Be careful, Tim and stay strong. Remember what I told you."

Tim nodded. Wally looked questioningly between them.

"Later", Dick mouthed.

"Ready to get away?", Wally asked.

"I have been for a while."

Kid Flash zipped towards Dick picking him up bridal style. Dick held his bag. They seemed to have a lot of experience with this.

"You're still as lightweight as when you were 13."

"Still can kick your ass, Flash Boy", Dick grinned.

"Maybe I should drop you on the way. There are some deep rivers between Gotham and Central."

"Wanna deal with an enraged Wonder Woman?"

Wally paled: "Shit. She'd totally kick my ass for this."

Wally nodded towards Alfred and Tim. He zipped away. Tim watched them with wonder. Kid Flash was nothing but a blur. And he must be stronger than he looked if he could carry Dick for hundreds of miles. He also seemed really familiar with Dick. It was no wonder that Tim had sorted through dozens of fan blogs during his research dedicated to their friendship.

Tim recalled the image of Wally running at impossible speed. He would love to find out how the Flashes got their powers. It would be fascinating to examine their DNA and to compare-

"I assume that you want to be Robin, Master Tim?"

"I will be. Batman needs a Robin."

"Master Dick didn't take it favorably?"

"He thinks that Robin is cursed."

Alfred looked down in sadness: "He may be right."

"I'll prove him wrong. Robin's always brought hope to Gotham. He'll see."

Alfred sighed: "Oh dear."

Like Dick, he seemed to resign himself to being unable to stop Tim.

Tim walked towards the living room where Bruce was still brooding.

"What are you still doing here?", the man growled.

"I want you to train me", Tim figured that it was best to be blunt with Batman.

"No."

"Batman needs a Robin to keep him in check. I have pictures of what you did to these people after Jason's death. That was not justice."

"Don't mention Jason ever again", Bruce clenched his fists, "You have no right to speak about him."

"I know. And I'm sorry. But I stand by my point: Batman needs a Robin."

Bruce stayed silent.

"Listen, Mr. Wayne", Tim swallowed his fear and walked towards the imposing man, "You aren't going out at the moment which is a good thing. But someone like Batman always needs a task. Training me could provide that."

"No."

"If you stay in the manor with nothing productive to do, your anger will just grow."

Tim probably was definitely overstepping a line with his analysis of Bruce's psychology but he needed to take a risk for his plan to work out.

Bruce stayed silent. So, Tim brought something up even Batman couldn't ignore: "Your relationship with Dick is completely destroyed right now."

Bruce's face reddened: "It is none of your business."

He stood up from the chair stomping towards Tim. It was terrifying and before his talk with Dick he would have shrunk back. But Dick's words had shown him how dire the situation was.

"It isn't my business. But Dick feels like you are irredeemable. He's been trying and trying without result. And now it's too late."

Tim was way out-of-line right now. He was effectively weaponizing Bruce's relationship with his son against him. The anger drained out of Bruce. He stumbled back slumping into the chair. To Tim's shock, the Batman hid his face in his hands.

"I screwed up, didn't I? I did and said all of these horrible things to him and now I don't know how to fix it. I thought that he would come back like he always does if I just left him some time – avoided him for a bit."

It sounded like Bruce was talking more to himself than Tim.

"I don't know how to talk to him anymore. I just get angry every time even though I don't mean to."

Tim stepped towards Bruce and put his hands on the man's shoulder: "Let me help, Mr. Wayne. You can train me and I'll prove myself to you."

"How is this supposed to help me?"

"It will."

Bruce looked up and sighed.

"He already has the stubbornness of a Robin", Alfred stood in the doorway.

Tim had forgotten about him.

Bruce stood up.

"I'll train you", he growled, "But it will be tough. And that doesn't guarantee that I will let you out. One misstep and you are done."

Tim nodded: "Yes, Sir."

"And no word about Jason or Dick. It's not in your place to talk about them."

Bruce left the room.

Tim stayed back. He didn't know how to feel.

"He seems to like you, Master Tim", Alfred said.

"Really, Alfred?"

"He has his own way of showing it", Alfred sounded mildly disapproving.

"Are you coming or not?", Bruce growled.

Tim flinched and hurried after his new-found mentor. He hadn't expected that they would already start.

"Good luck", Alfred said.

Tim knew that he would need it. The next few months would be the harshest of his life.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: It's a bit shorter than the previous ones but it makes up for it by being one of the most emotional chapters. **

**I love the 2****nd**** season of Young Justice but I often wonder how much amazing character development we missed because of the time skip. This is one of the moments I would have really liked to see.**

* * *

18\. Wally

Wally was exhausted when they reached Central City. Dick had grown quite a lot since they had started the Team – even though he was still the smallest. Not that Wally would ever admit his weakness. Dick smirked knowingly.

Wally zipped into the kitchen to get food. When he returned, Dick strained to walk up the stairs to Wally's room. The speedster opened his mouth.

"Don't even think about it", Dick had lost his cheerful demeanor.

He was in full Bat-mode. Wally sighed internally and waited for Dick to make it up the stairs. It was always exhausting when his bro was like this. And his mood had been increasingly sour in the last few months.

They finally reached Wally's room. (It had taken an eternity.) Dick wiped the sweat from his forehead. But he didn't sit down. Instead, he paced around the room ranting to Wally about the new kid. Tim. How he wanted to be Robin. How he had disregarded Dick's warnings. How he had insisted on becoming Robin anyway.

Wally laid on his bed munching on his chocolate bar. Damn. Nothing soured Dick's mood more than a new stray showing up on Bruce's doorstep. He had been like this for weeks after Jason had shown up.

Dick had some real abandonment issues. And Bruce wasn't helping with his shit. Not that Wally would ever dare to say this to his friend.

Dick stopped talking and just paced around. He had long discarded his crutches. His temper was stronger than the pain.

Wally felt like he needed to say something: "Tim sounds determined."

Dick tore at his hair: "He's nice but he's so damn stubborn. He doesn't take a no for an answer even if it kills him."

"Reminds me of someone."

Dick glared at Wally: "I was never this irresponsible."

But the speedster wasn't easy to intimidate. After years of Batglares he had grown a thick skin. Wally just frowned.

"OK. Fine. I had my moments", Dick said, "But it wasn't like you didn't go along."

Wally grinned - because of course he had. Coating Artemis' arrows in itching powder had been one of the tamer things they had done.

"You like him", Wally said.

Dick halted and hung his head in defeat: "I do. That's why I don't want him to be hurt. But I won't be able to stop him. Probably not even Bruce. I'm only there to make sure the fallout is contained."

"Spoken like a true big brother", Wally smiled.

"He's not a part of the family."

"Yet."

"Bruce doesn't want him in the manor."

"You know B. He can't resist a stray."

Dick's shoulders tensed: "The League won't let him. Bruce will never be allowed to train another kid."

Wally bit his lip. Dick made it seem simple. But the League was divided and many were still on the side of the Bat or undecided. If Tim managed to convince Bruce to train him, there was a possibility that the League would allow it.

"Dude, you should sit down. Your legs-"

Dick snapped: "I'm fine. It's almost healed."

Wally shrunk back. Dick's outbursts could be terrifying.

"I'm sorry, Walls", he ran his hand through his hair and sat on the bed.

"So what is the plan?"

"Wait 'till I'm healed. Go back to Blüdhaven. Ignore Bruce."

Didn't sound like a good plan.

"Remember when I advised you to leave the manor? I don't think it was good advice."

"So you want me to stay with him?"

"No. But I know you, Rob. And I know that you have the tendency to isolate yourself."

"What else am I supposed to do?"

Wally pondered. It would be a sacrifice but Dick needed him right now. Artemis would understand. Hopefully.

"I wanted to leave the house anyway – or the nest", he couldn't resist throwing in a bird metaphor, "And being flat mates with my bro doesn't sound too bad."

Dick seemed at a loss for words. They sat there in silence for a while. Dick pondered. Wally tried to discern the emotions on his face but Dick hid them behind a blank gaze. He had done it more often in the last few months. Wally found it increasingly difficult to get through to him. It was terrifying to watch. There was a strong possibility that Dick could break under all this emotional weight.

Dick put his hand on Wally's shoulder. The former Robin halted and composed himself: "I appreciate it. But I know that you wanted to move in with Arty."

Wally sighed: "We can wait. We have all the time in the world."

"We don't. We could die on every mission."

"Ever the optimist, Rob", Wally's stomach clenched.

Now was the time to tell Dick about his and Arty's plans. His tongue felt heavy.

"I wanted to tell you differently but now is the time. Artemis and me want to leave the team."

The second time Wally had made Dick speechless tonight. The speedster expected his friend to become angry but instead he just nodded in a mechanic way. It seemed like Dick was disassociating.

Wally had foreseen this possibility. He had been the only person left for Dick to confide in. Bruce had screwed up and Alfred was too attached to his surrogate son. The butler loved Dick like family but he would never leave Bruce's side.

Only Wally was left. And he had considered staying on the team just to support Dick through his hard times. But Dick was right. Their job was dangerous and they could die on every mission. Wally wanted to have some security and peace. Artemis felt the same. They had promised each other to hang up the capes. Maybe they would never be able to stop if they didn't now.

Wally wanted Dick to be happy. But he couldn't put his whole life on hold for the sake of his best friend.

"What? No protests?"

"It's your decision. And I've seen it for a while now. You've already checked out. You have different priorities now."

Wally frowned.

"I don't mean it in a bad way", Dick folded his hands in his lap, "When the team fought Bruce in Arkham and he threw you into the cell, Artemis followed. She didn't consider that you were not in mortal danger and that the team needed her help more. You were her first priority. It's the behavior of a person who has already made peace with the mission. Someone who wants to move on."

Wally hadn't known that Artemis had reacted this way. It created a warmth inside him. Artemis really was his dream girl. How had he gotten so lucky?

"I think I feel the same way", Wally lowered his gaze.

"There's no shame in that", Dick was beaming, "You're at peace, Wally. That's great."

Wally smiled. It felt good. Having talked about it, made it real.

He bit his lip: "I know you're in a bad place right now and it's a bad time to leave-"

"Don't", Dick evaded his gaze, "It will always be a bad time. And I'll be fine. Circus kid. Remember?"

"You know you can still talk to me? I may be out of the hero life but I'm not out of your life."

"I know."

Wally felt torn. He knew that Dick wouldn't open up to him anymore after Wally had left the Team. The former Robin wouldn't want to burden Wally with his problems.

"Still gonna miss you though", Dick said.

"You better. Everyone wants a piece of the Wallman in their lives", Wally tried to lighten the mood.

Dick laid back on the bed and looked at the ceiling. Wally's smile faltered. He hoped that Dick would find someone else to confide in. He doubted it.


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: I tried something different this time. There is not much about Tula on the show so she is a bit of a blank slate. I tried to do her justice and to make her into a sympathetic character.**

**Tula's death and the fallout for the team is something very interesting I wanted to explore and which I haven't seen addressed in a lot of fanfiction? Maybe I'm overseeing it and there are actually many great works out there dealing with all this angst. So if someone's got a recommendation…**

**Tula also was a great way to show how all the pain I've put Dick through changed him.**

* * *

19\. Tula

Tula had never left Atlantis but hearing Kaldur's stories from the surface world made her hungry for adventure. Her life in Atlantis seemed too small. Too sheltered.

Garth had been skeptical when he had heard about her plans. But she had told him that she wanted to find something more meaningful. Something with a purpose. Protecting the people of the surface world as Aquagirl seemed like the perfect opportunity.

In addition, she could spend more time with her childhood friend. Kaldur was far too busy these days leading his team. After hearing him ramble about his team for years (as much as Kaldur could ramble), she wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

So, she accompanied him to 'the Cave' to introduce her as a new team member.

"Don't be nervous", Kaldur smiled, "You'll make a great addition to the team. And they're good friends."

One after another, the zeta announced the arrival of the team. M'Gann was the most enthusiastic. She floated over to Tula and started a conversation with her. Tula felt a weight on her chest lessen. Now, she only needed to win over the other members of the team.

Connor stayed silent but nodded respectfully at her. He seemed to be a stoic type. Wally and Artemis mostly stayed to themselves. They whispered to each other deep in conversation. At first, Tula wondered if she had done something wrong.

Then, Artemis took Wally's hand in a comforting gesture and it occurred to her that the two were occupied with something that wasn't Tula's business. She tried to offer them some encouraging smiles.

They were waiting on Nightwing. He was patrolling Blüdhaven again after he had recovered from his injuries.

"It's not like N to be late", Artemis frowned.

Wally said: "Blüdhaven is even more of a hellhole right now than it usually is. Every petty criminal crawled out of the woodwork while Rob was out of commission."

Tula bit her lip. She had heard about the conflict that had torn the Justice League apart. The video had made it even to Atlantis. Every sea dweller had seen it. She couldn't imagine how humiliating that must feel.

The computer voice announced Nightwing's arrival. He was bandaging his wrist while stepping out of the tube. A shallow cut that was still bleeding permeated his forehead. Even with the mask, she could see that he was in a bad mood.

"Sorry, guys. Blüdhaven is an experience right now", he forced a smile.

"It's fine", Kaldur said.

Nightwing nodded at Tula still fiddling with his wriest: "Hi. Nice to meet you."

How should she react to a guy whom she had watched being beaten to a pulp in full cinematic glory? She had seen glances of Nightwing – or Robin –when she had visited Kaldur but she had never interacted with him. Should she offer her condolences?

The words spluttered out of her mouth: "I'm Tula. Aquagirl. I'm really sorry about what happened."

Shit. She had really screwed up. Way to destroy a possible friendship with one of her new teammates forever.

The awkward moment seemed to drag on until eternity with the rest of the team watching them.

Nightwing simply nodded and turned to Kaldur. Tula didn't know what to make of his reaction. He reminded her of the clips of Batman she had seen. During League conferences Batman – if he was there – would stand aside letting Superman and Wonder Woman do the talking while he occasionally nodded. Apparently, his behavior had washed off on his protegee. Strange.

Kaldur had told her that Nightwing – then Robin – was the light to Batman's dark. Someone to balance him out. She didn't see it.

She found herself watching him closely. Maybe because he was clearly troubled. Or because he was the only teammate who was still a question mark. It bothered her that he was the only one whose secret identity she didn't know.

Kaldur thankfully took control of the situation: "I have a pleasant announcement to make."

"We also have one", Artemis fastened her grip on Wally's hand, "Ours should be first."

Nightwing crossed his arms.

Wally stepped forward: "Artemis and I have decided to quit the Team."

"We want to concentrate on university", Artemis said, "Our lives have never slowed down since we've joined this team. And we loved every second of it. But Wally and me we have been helping others for a long time. Now we want to focus on our own lives a bit."

The team seemed shocked. Except for Nightwing who had probably already known.

M'Gann pulled Artemis into a hug: "I'm gonna miss you."

"We'll still be friends. This is not a goodbye."

"Who's gonna watch GossipTalk with me?"

"I could if you don't mind", Tula bit her lip, "I would like to join the team. I- I've already spoken with Kaldur about it."

"Really?", M'Gann seemed delighted, "I love making new friends."

Tula relaxed. She avoided looking at Nightwing who was still standing there with his arms crossed. He didn't seem hostile towards her. But there was something dark radiating off him. He was occupied. Tula wondered if he had always been like this or if recent events had changed him.

"I understand that these are quite some changes to digest. But I'm confident that we'll make it through", Kaldur looked at Wally and Artemis, "I understand your decision. Doesn't mean that I won't miss you though."

Artemis and Wally hugged their former teammates.

"You know you can talk to me anytime, dude", Wally said to Nightwing, "And stop with the Bat-brooding already."

"I'm not Bat-brooding."

"Your grumpy face could turn milk sour. You're still bleeding by the way."

"Shit", Nightwing touched the forehead wound, "Probably needs stitches."

Wally hit Nightwing's shoulder in a friendly manner. The speedster flinched and pulled back his hand. He stared at his friend's armored shoulder: "Man. That hurts. Do you have rocks under there?"

Nightwing laughed out loud. It caught Tula by surprise. Apparently, there was a lighter side to the vigilante. The recent events must have changed him. Tula's chest twisted in sympathy.

"You're an idiot", Nightwing was still laughing, "It's newly optimized Kevlar by the way. Did it myself to make sure that- You know."

Nightwing pulled Wally into another hug. He seemed almost panicked as if he was afraid of letting go.

"Call me", Wally said, "Or I'll run over to Blüdhaven."

Nightwing nodded putting his blank façade back on. He stayed like that even while Artemis and Wally left. There was a moment of silence as the team mourned the loss of two members who had been there from the beginning.

"OK", Kaldur said after a while, "It's time to train. This team needs to get used to its new line-up."

He put a hand on Nightwing's shoulder as they walked away: "Could I talk to you for a second, my friend? I have to ask for a favor. There's something I need-"

M'Gann and Connor exchanged a confused look. Something seemed to trouble their leader. Tula frowned. Which secret did her best friend withhold from her?

* * *

They went to the sparring room after Nightwing and Kaldur had returned. Tula forgot the incident due to the excitement of training with her new team.

Nightwing and Superboy were circling each other. Tula knew that the Bat and his protegee were capable but she wondered how a normal human could take down a half-Kryptonian. She saw it with her own eyes.

Connor used his strength against Nightwing while the other countered with pure precision and evasion that made her question if Nightwing could fly. Connor lunged at his opponent with his fist.

Nightwing stepped aside and pulled Connor forward using his own momentum against him. He kicked his feet out from under him.

"**Superboy, fail"**

"You're keeping yourself too open, SB", Nightwing said.

Connor nodded and took Nightwing's hand.

"Good work", a dark voice said.

Tula jumped. Batman was standing in the doorway looking at Nightwing. The younger one tensed.

"Can we talk?", Batman asked.

"We can't", Nightwing said.

Batman sighed: "I'm sorry for how I acted when I last saw you. You'll always have a space at home."

"Did you just apologize? Did Black Canary write your script or what?"

Batman looked at the rest of the team. He seemed to know that Nightwing would not have a private talk with him so he said: "I did apologize because I'm learning to admit when I was wrong. And I was very wrong."

"You don't get it, do you? You're still doing it", Nightwing lost his composure.

"We should really talk elsewhere."

"No. They should know that you're training another Robin."

They stared each other down.

Batman stepped back first: "I don't want to fight."

"Then stop repeating the same mistakes."

"The kid insisted on becoming Robin. He says Batman needs one to stay in the light and if I didn't train him, he'd go out anyway without the proper equipment or training."

Nightwing crossed his arms: "This is supposed to convince me?"

"It was the same with you."

"And how did this work out for Robin 2.0? Robin 3.0 could meet the same fate and I'll never let that happen to another kid."

Batman sighed.

Nightwing continued: "I can't believe we're numbering them now. You're already on the lookout for Robin 4.0 if 3.0 bites the dust?"

Batman was trembling as if he was trying to reign his anger in: "You are more than numbers to me. And you know that, Nightwing."

"Why are you here?"

"Because I want to make things right with you. I've been talking to Dinah and you-", he seemed to force the words out, "-were right about her helping. I resolved most of the problems. And you are the biggest priority to me."

Nightwing rushed towards the door: "I'm busy."

Batman put a gentle hand on his shoulder: "What about Robin 1.0? Do you think he's a mistake, too?"

Nightwing stayed silent.

Batman's face softened under the cowl: "Because I think that he turned out great."

Nightwing seemed to ponder for a moment. But then he shoved off Batman's hand and rushed out of the door.

Batman stayed there for a moment. He left as quietly as he'd come.

"What was that?", Tula said.

"It's the first time that you've witnessed a fight between Batman and Nightwing", M'Gann said, "And many will follow."

"It's a bit like an inauguration ceremony", Connor tried to joke.

"Welcome to the team", Kaldur said.

* * *

The next three months were exciting. Tula became great friends with M'Gann - and Connor often tagged along when they met up. Kaldur joined frequently. Nightwing never did. Batman often tried to talk to him but Nightwing always evaded him.

"Don't take it personally", M'Gann said when Nightwing didn't show up to the fifth movie night in a row, "He's still hurt from what happened with Batman. He's always had trouble letting people in but he's closed himself off more than ever."

"Usually, Wally talked him out of it", Connor sighed.

Tula felt bad for Nightwing – whose identity she still didn't know. She wanted to help him but she didn't know how.

* * *

Tula's time on the team was short. It happened when they fought Bane and his goons on Santa Prisca. They had found intel that indicated that Bane was in possession of Kryptonite. He had exchanged messages with an unknown business partner.

The team was heavily outnumbered when Bane spotted them. Bullets rained down on them. They took cover behind a crate.

While they were forced to stay put, Bane installed a bomb and fled the island.

The Team managed to knock out the shooters through their combined efforts. But Bane had been long gone – without the cargo at least.

Nightwing rushed towards the bomb examining it. Its timer counted down.

"Can you disarm it?", Kaldur asked.

They only had a minute left.

Nightwing's hands were as steady as his voice when he said: "No. It's too complicated to pull off within a minute. It's big enough to blow the whole island. Not even SB could withstand that heat."

"Retreat", Kaldur said.

"We can't leave them here", Tula looked at the knocked-out goons.

Kaldur looked regretful: "We have no choice or we'll be lost, too."

"There's another way", Tula carefully took the bomb.

"What are you doing?", Kaldur protested – together with the rest of the team.

"Saving human lives", Tula hurried towards the exit of the warehouse.

"NO", Kaldur tried to follow her, "It is my duty as team leader."

"Sorry, but I can't let you do this", she had always been quicker than him.

Connor tackled Kaldur to the ground. Her friend struggled and tried to push the half-Kryptonian off himself. Connor gave her a last respectful nod. It was comforting. At least now she knew that her friend would be safe.

Tula jumped into the water and dove as deep as she could - until she was sure that her friends wouldn't be harmed. It was the right thing to do. She would never let Kaldur die for her. Maybe it was selfish to instead die for him.

The bomb exploded and Tula couldn't withstand the heat. She didn't have any regrets. She had found her purpose.


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: We're steadily moving towards the end. There are only a few chapters left but I promise that everything will come together. We'll end this story with a bang.**

* * *

20\. Kaldur

Kaldur laid the flowers at the feet of Tula's hologram. It was made up out of seaweed and tulips. The most beautiful flowers of the land and sea, just as Tula had liked them. He had visited her memorial every day since her death.

Kaldur felt like he couldn't breathe when he looked at her face. It was his fault that the League had to built her a memorial in the first place. If he had been a better leader, she wouldn't have been forced to sacrifice herself. They hadn't even been able to bury her. There was nothing left of her to honor. Only her legacy.

Kaldur should have noticed the explosive when Bane had planted it. He should have been able to take out the gunmen allowing Dick to disarm the bomb with enough time left. But he had failed his team.

"Why did you have to die for me?", Kaldur asked the hologram, "I could have done it. I should have."

Tula stayed still. A frozen image of a person that was far too beautiful to capture. The hologram would never do her justice.

"She loved you", Dick appeared beside him in Nightwing-gear.

He took off his mask. Kaldur hadn't seen his bare face in the last weeks.

_She loved Garth more_, the insecure voice within Kaldur said.

He shoved it aside. Dick was right. Tula had loved him like a brother. Why couldn't he have protected her like one? Tula's memorial was no place for petty jealousy.

"She was a true hero. We should all strive to be like her", Dick said.

"Why are you here?", Kaldur sounded harsher than he meant to.

He felt like he was breaking apart and Dick's melancholy made it worse. Kaldur wanted to act. He needed Nightwing right now – not Dick Grayson. Grief was making him selfish.

Dick seemed unsure. He frowned and started to say something. Probably tell Kaldur his condolences. But he closed his mouth and looked downwards.

Dick put his mask back on and returned to his Nightwing persona: "I found out who Bane's business partner was after some hacking. Lex Luthor. But he didn't act alone. He was working with-"

"The Light", Kaldur balled his fists.

Nightwing nodded: "Bane was ready to ship the Kryptonite off to them. Transactions had already taken place. We foiled it."

"And Tula paid with her life."

Nightwing stayed silent.

Kaldur turned to him: "The Light has been getting more dangerous."

"And personal", Nightwing tensed, "Their methods are extreme and they will only increase. They already managed to tear the League apart. Without Batman and Wonder Woman it has lost much of its public standing."

"It's time that we strike back", Kaldur said.

Dick nodded: "We are missing information. The Light is too efficient in hiding. If we don't get dirt on them, we'll never catch them. The League is at a huge disadvantage because it operates in the open."

"But we don't", Kaldur said.

"If we could get someone inside", Dick trailed off - still in thought.

Kaldur took a deep breath. This decision would change everything. Its consequences could easily crush his soul. But Tula's death had thrown him over the edge. He had already lost who was most dear to him in the world. Kaldur needed to see her murderers brought to justice – whatever it took.

"There's something I never told you, my friend", Kaldur's throat was dry, "I found out something a few months ago that changed my perception of myself."

Dick frowned but he listened attentively.

Kaldur felt the weight in his chest lessening. It was easier when he could concentrate on solving a problem. And Nightwing was the perfect partner for that. Kaldur had always respected his professionalism and experience even if Dick had gone overboard in the last few months. And now Kaldur was enabling Dick's horrible coping mechanism. He really was a terrible leader.

Kaldur said: "Black Manta cornered me during our mission in Costa Rica. He told me that he was my biological father and even gave me some of his blood to prove it."

"The favor you asked from me."

Kaldur nodded: "I didn't tell you at the time whose blood you were testing but it was Manta's and mine."

"You could have told me", Dick's voice was soft, "I would never judge someone for their family."

Dick reached out as if to put his hand onto Kaldur's shoulder but lowered it. Under his mask of professionalism, Dick was terribly unsure.

Kaldur should have supported him more as his team leader. But he had waited for Dick to work it out like he always did. Now, months had passed and Dick was still struggling. Now, it was too late.

They had aimed to keep their team together even if the Justice League had broken apart. But they had failed miserably.

"I know but I needed some time to come to terms with it myself."

"I understand."

"Manta said that he was proud of me. Of my power. He said that he regretted leaving me when I was young."

"Do you believe him?"

"He seemed genuine. But I would never betray my King by aligning with a murderer – even if this murderer is my father."

Realization dawned upon Nightwing's face: "You plan to use your connection to him and get close to the Light."

"Manta aims to become a part of the Light. He's trying to prove himself. And his ruthlessness will allow him to be seen as worthy."

"Do you believe you can stand the pressure? Undercover work is though stuff, Kal."

Kaldur put a hand on Dick's shoulder: "I need to know that I'm leaving my team in capable hands. And that I have someone on the inside who I can trust as a reliable contact."

Dick bit his lip. He seemed to hesitate but he nodded: "I'll do it."

"Are you sure? I don't want to ask too much of you. Especially after Batman-"

"I still miss him", Dick lifted his chin, "But I'm my own hero now. And I don't need him."

Kaldur wondered if his friend realized how much he was acting like Batman right now. It was concerning. But Dick was the only person on the team Kaldur trusted to back him up.

His contact needed to be able to hide secrets from others – even their own friends. They needed to be calm and quick-thinking. To be able to sacrifice certain things for the mission just as Kaldur was.

Connor had evolved over the last few years and had become far more controlled. But he still had a tendency to lash out and to be rash. M'Gann wore her heart on her sleeve and it would destroy her to lie to her friends. Wally was similar. Artemis had left the Team and Kaldur wouldn't pull her back in. Not for this mess.

Dick was the only and best option left. Kaldur hoped that his friend wouldn't break under the additional burden Kaldur shifted onto him. Two burdens really. Team leader and secret contact to a high profile undercover mission with too much at stake. Just thinking about it made Kaldur sick. But Nightwing seemed determined. His insecurity had seemingly vanished.

"We'll stage a fight", Nightwing said, "I visited you at Tula's memorial and you lashed out. You blame the team for not saving her. And you are angry that Aquaman lied about your relation to Manta. You feel betrayed and therefore you are joining him."

Kaldur nodded. He held out his hand. Dick took it. It was a promise to go through with their elaborate scheme.

"The Team can't know", Kaldur said, "The League can't."

"And Batman can't", Nightwing added.

Kaldur looked at Tula's memorial. He would make sure that her death wasn't in vain. They would end the Light once and for all.

"I'll manipulate the footage", Nightwing nodded into the direction of the camera.

"You ready, my friend?"

"Are you, fishboy?", Dick grinned.

Kaldur took a deep breath. This would be the beginning of months of soul-crushing undercover-work. But he would go through with it to honor Tula, his King and his team.

Aqualad punched Nightwing in the face.

* * *

**AN: This chapter was actually inspired by a scene from season 2. When M'Gann invades Kaldur's mind and rips it apart, you can see an image of Kaldur and Nightwing shaking hands before Tula's hologram. It's a really cool detail and I had a lot of fun writing a scene around it.**

**A virtual cookie for anyone who noticed it. That's like next-level Young Justice trivia-knowledge which I can never hope to match. ;)**


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: It is finally coming together and I'm presenting you with this over 7000 words epic-of-angst (with a little bit of hope in between). **

**For clarity's sake, Diana's backstory is taken from the Wonder Woman live-action movie. It is the version of her backstory I'm familiar with and I adore her character there. I don't know how much her origin varies in other incarnations.**

** Sunshine-Midnight123: You really pinpointed the essence of Dick's development in your last comment. It was really striking how much he became like Batman as Nightwing after the five-year-gap. This little plot bunny of YJ!Bruce losing it after Jason died became essentially my attempt to explain why Dick changed so much.**

**Light warning for mentions of suicidal thought. Nothing graphic or major. Just take care.**

* * *

21\. Nightwing

This time, Dick physically stood in front of the Justice League. The League had called in an emergency meeting on the Watchtower after Nightwing had informed them about Aqualad's betrayal.

His body still ached. The fight might have been staged but Kaldur definitely hadn't held back.

Nightwing relayed his report. Astonished faces stared at him. The Leaguers that had been close to Kaldur were especially devastated. Aquaman shook his head in disbelief. Zatanna clenched her fists. She shared occasional whispers with Rocket.

"But Kaldur'Ahm has always been my most loyal student", Aquaman protested.

"He feels betrayed by the true identity of his father being withheld", Dick fiddled with the bandages around his wriest.

Aquaman shook his head: "I can't believe this. You must be mistaken, Nightwing."

"I wish I was. I-", he took a breath seemingly to compose himself, "Please, watch for yourself."

He pulled up the footage of the staged fight. Nightwing's stomach clenched. He hoped that the League would believe their deception. They certainly had tried their best to make it seem real. The fight had left more than physical wounds. Kaldur had ripped Dick Grayson open with his words.

* * *

"_We can help you, Kaldur. Please", the Nightwing on the footage evaded Aqualad's punches._

_They were fighting in the kitchen of the Cave after they had left chaos in their wake in the other rooms._

_Aqualad sent a vicious kick to Nightwing's stomach: "You didn't help, Tula. All that Bat-training and you couldn't disarm a single bomb?"_

_Dick fell to the floor and held up his hands._

"_I'm not fighting my friend", Nightwing took off his mask to reveal pleading eyes, "You will always be my leader."_

_He really put it on thick to sell it. Kaldur stood still - balling his fists._

"_Listen, Kaldur", Nightwing continued his heartfelt speech, "I'm sorry. I should have been better. We all should have been. But Tula saved our life. And we should honor her memory by keeping this team together."_

_Nightwing stood up and held out his hand. Kaldur halted as if he was thinking. Then, he moved._

_Aqualad pulled Nightwing into a death grip and electrocuted him. Dick writhed in pain feeling the current run through his body. Dick twisted out of Kaldur's grip still shaking and barely able to stand. But he countered with a Wingding to the face. It broke even Atlantean skin. _

_Aqualad growled launching himself at Nightwing. But Nightwing threw a smoke bomb and vanished._

"_Still hiding after all these years", Kaldur said._

_When the smoke cleared, Aqualad was surrounded by a ring of small gadgets. Nightwing was perched on the kitchen counter. A tray with the remains of M'Ganns latest cookies was still sitting there. A reminder of what they once had. _

_Nightwing held a detonator in his hand._

"_I don't want to do this, Kal", Nightwing said, "The team- We are sorry. We didn't want this to happen – no matter how angry you are at us."_

"_Carelessness is worse than failure. We've become complacent. The League and the Team haven't been on the right path for a long time."_

"_I know", Nightwing said, "That's why we have to fix it."_

_He held out his hand to Kaldur again. The Atlantean stayed still._

_Kaldur trembled: "There's nothing left to fix. Tula is dead. And the Team and the League failed her."_

"_She wouldn't want you to turn to the dark side, Kal. Not in her name."_

"_I'd rather call it turning to the Light", Kaldur growled._

"_Have you forgotten what the Light does? It lies and murders for its own gain. How could you join them after what they did to Connor? Not to forget hundreds of innocents."_

"_But the League is different?"_

"_The League saves people."_

"_I pity you, Nightwing", Kaldur scoffed._

"_Pity me?", Dick frowned._

_This hadn't been in the script. Kaldur was almost too convincing._

"_Did you feel saved when Batman almost beat you to death – repeatedly? When he left you to be torn apart in Arkham?"_

_Dick flinched. This was way off script._

_Kaldur walked closer: "You're the prime example for the League's sins. You are a brainwashed child soldier. The first one in a long line."_

_Dick didn't know what to say. His throat was dry._

"_We all are", Kaldur said, "And now I'm finally seeing it for what it is. Manipulation. Orin is my king. Do you really think I could say no to him? Artemis comes from a family of villains. The League gave her a new purpose but that can easily be taken away. Connor doesn't even have a family._

"_The League isn't forcing us to be heroes."_

_Kaldur just kept going on: "And you? Bruce Wayne took you in after your parents died in front of your eyes. A rich man who follows his crusade at night. He never even legally adopted you. You were dependent on him."_

"_That's what children are. They are dependent on their parents. Bruce took care of me and I'll always be thankful for that", Nightwing took a deep breath, "The League didn't threaten us."_

"_Because they never had to", Kaldur snarled, "We always had an implicit threat hanging over our heads. Orin could have used his power anytime to destroy my life. Artemis could have been sent back to her abusive father. They could have carded Connor off to Luthor or thrown him back into a Cadmus pot. And Bruce could have sent you back to the orphanage. No one would have wanted to take you in. Or he could have thrown you out when you were 16 – what he did if my memory serves me right."_

_Kaldur's grin was smug: "Open your eyes, Nightwing. Your beloved League uses emotionally vulnerable children to do its bidding. And if one of them dies, it just replaces them. I mean, look at Jason. Batman is training a new Robin, isn't he?"_

"_Don't mention, Jason", Dick trembled in far-too-real anger_

_He was letting this deception get to him._

"_Jason Todd was beaten and blown up while being on a mission with a member of the Justice League", Kaldur stepped closer to Dick and challenged his gaze, "I don't see the Light letting children do its bidding."_

"_Kaldur, please. Let's talk about this like normal people."_

"_NO", Kaldur's fists trembled, "I won't let myself be discarded."_

"_The Light will see you as disposable, too. It is not a better option."_

"_Maybe not. But at least joining my father allows me to tear the League apart", Kaldur screamed, "They will suffer."_

"_Kal", Nightwing said, "You don't mean any of this. You are upset because of Tula's dead. Insulting me and the League is your way of-"_

_Kaldur hit Dick in the face. He fell from the counter and hit his head on one of the kitchen cabinets. The detonator skidded over the tiles._

"_Don't go Bat on me", Aqualad towered over Nightwing._

_Dick spat out blood: "What is your endgame here? Kill me? I don't even want to fight you, Kal."_

"_I have a proposal for you, old friend. It may be partly your fault that Tula is dead but I saw what the League – what Batman – did to you. I saw how he pushed you. I saw how you followed him every step of the way like a good little dog thinking that you were a son to him. And I saw how he walked over these sentiments."_

_This time, Kaldur offered out his hand: "Don't you want to turn the tables for once? We could both get our revenge."_

_Dick shook his head. His throat was too dry to speak. This staged fight was taking everything out of him._

"_Think about the symbolic power of the first sidekick deserting the League. You could have so much influence. But you choose to stay complacent in the League's crimes."_

_Dick bit his lip: "The League is flawed, Kal. But it can be fixed."_

_Kaldur growled: "Then, we cannot come to an agreement. You had your chance. The Light will appreciate it if I bring them the first Robin as a welcoming gift."_

_He formed a blade out of water and aimed it at Dick's chest. Nightwing rolled out of the way. He lunged for the detonator. But Kaldur gripped him by the ankle and pulled him back._

"_I have enough of this", Dick threw his escrima stick at Kaldur's face._

_The crack told him that he had hit his target. Kaldur loosened his grip. Dick lunged for the detonator and pushed the button. Small fires erupted in the kitchen. Kaldur groaned and held his bloody nose. It seemed to be broken._

_Dick pushed himself up and held his remaining escrima stick in front of himself. His knees were shaky._

_Kaldur stumbled towards the exit. He glared at Dick. They were in a stalemate._

"_Don't believe for one second that I will go easy on you out of some false sense of sentimentality", Kaldur left the room._

* * *

The footage ended and the League stared in shock. For minutes, no one made a sound.

Dick bit his lip. The weight of the situation was crashing down on him. Kaldur and him were playing the whole Justice League – people that Dick loved like family. But there was no turning back.

"I managed to plant a tracker on Kaldur during the fight", Nightwing sighed, "It was last active in the Mariana Trench until he must have found it."

"Manta loves to hide out there", Aquaman muttered.

"Kaldur went to his biological father", Dick looked at his feet to appear as a mournful friend, "We lost him."

"Maybe we can still show him the right way", Dinah said.

Green Arrow said: "There is no room for arguments anymore. He tried to kill one of his oldest friends."

"I was his therapist. How could I fail him like this? Why didn't he tell me that he had these feelings?", Dinah hid her face in her hands.

"Tula's death was too much for him. And finding out that Manta was his father-", Dick shook his head, "I wish I had seen it sooner."

"Not your fault, kid", Flash consoled him, "You had a lot on your plate."

Dick had the League right where he needed it. The members looked at him in pity.

And there was also guilt. Dick wasn't the only one who Kaldur's words had hurt.

The stage was set for the next phase in their plan: Bringing the League back together.

The Team may be able to operate in the dark but the world needed a united Justice League.

They needed Bruce – as much as Dick loathed him right now. But Batman was the leading tactician of the Justice League, their brain. Batman would be able to outthink the Light. If the organization started to fight dirty, the heroes needed someone who would dare to play on their level.

They needed Diana just as much. She was their most powerful warrior, an icon who inspired people everywhere. She had been doing so for decades ever since she had first appeared in their world during the First World War. If the Light started to fight dirty, Wonder Woman would be invaluable in keeping public opinion on their side and being one of their powerhouses.

Dick ran his hand through his hair: "There is something I believe we all neglected. But I don't know if I'm the right one to say it. I'm not even in the League-"

The older heroes shared uncomfortable glances. Kaldur's words had definitely cut them deep.

Clark stood up. His face wore a distressed frown: "The things Kaldur said. About the League indoctrinating the Team. Do you feel that way?"

Dick sighed internally. He had known that that question would come up. The gazes of the older heroes burned on him. He tried to come up with something that didn't involve pouring his heart out to his extended family. The silence weighed heavily.

"I've never felt that way", Zatanna said, "My father always had my wellbeing in mind. After the helmet-"

She looked at Doctor Fate with clear regret: "The League and the Team were like a safety net for me. They gave me a new family and the ability to change the world for the better. I don't regret it even if it's not easy."

Rocket put a hand on her shoulder: "You got it, girl. Nothing to add to that."

Dick smiled at Zatanna. Again, she had saved him from a rough spot. Z nodded.

"With Kaldur gone, I'll have to step up to lead the team", Dick said, "It's time to think about our next steps. We need to better the communication between the Team and the League to make sure that something like Kaldur's betrayal cannot happen again."

The weight on his chest grew even more. It was the first time he had said it out loud. Leading the team seemed overbearing. Dick knew that he had the experience and the skill to pull it off. But he didn't know if his mind could withstand the pressure. Not without significant damage.

When he was younger, he had wanted to lead with all his heart. But he hadn't been ready. Now he was mature enough, but he felt like his heart wasn't in it. His heart hadn't been in a lot of things lately. His life had turned into a mechanic sequence of events.

Patrolling in Blüdhaven. A few hours of sleep (4 if he got lucky). Classes at the police academy (He had broken off uni. Partly, out of boredom. Partly, to spite Bruce. Dick had decided on a business degree when he had still hoped to win Bruce's approval. That hope was lost now.) Going on a mission with the team. Patrolling. Sleeping. Repeat.

Dick didn't have any friends at the police academy and dealing with the team was strictly business now. He used to be a people magnet. He had thrived on contact with his friends, his family and total strangers (who had quickly become friends). Now, he found himself shutting people out. Questioning their every move. If they were betraying him (like Bruce had), even if he was being irrational.

Dick hated being this paranoid. He was an aerialist. He was supposed to be bold. But he had lost his circus attitude. The openness towards people that he used to be proud of. Bruce had literally beaten it out of him.

Batman must be proud of him. Dick had become what Bruce had always wanted him to be. The mission came first, just as the Bat had taught him. Hell. He was deceiving the entire Justice League right now.

"Wait a second, Nightwing", Clark looked at him in concern, "You didn't answer the question. What do you think about what Kaldur said?"

Dick bit his lip. Batman was supposed to be the perceptive one but no one should underestimate Clark's reporter attitude.

Luckily, Dick knew how to deal with journalists. He plastered on a mask of determination: "I've already told it to Kaldur. But I think that the League can be truly great if it manages to get itself together again. We are doing good in the world and we younger heroes know that none of you would force us to continue. Kaldur twisted what happened. The League didn't exploit vulnerable children but gave them a family – somewhere to belong."

"What about Bruce?", Clark asked.

Dick swallowed the rage he felt when saying his mentor's name. He had to keep it together if he wanted to convince the League to allow Batman back into its ranks. His feelings about Batman re-joining weren't important right now. The mission came first. And the mission demanded a united Justice League.

"-I am glad that he took me in. I know that many of you had concerns about his methods. But he did what was best for me. I needed a way to get justice and Bruce gave me an outlet. Without him, I would have gone out anyway and I would be dead right now. His training was extreme and he was a bit demanding-"

Snorts came from a few of the League members.

"A bit of an understatement, Nightwing", Flash teased.

Dick smiled: "OK. He was very demanding. But I needed someone like him. Someone who showed me my boundaries but was always there when some crazy villain-of-the-week tried to feed me to some sharks. So, no. I have never regretted it."

More chuckles at the mention of the sharks. Dick hated his nickname of 'Boy Hostage' and he had done his utmost to shred the title as Nightwing. He had been successful – mostly. No one dared to say it to Nightwing's face anymore (except maybe Slade). But reminding the League of his more vulnerable, younger self was what he needed to do to get the League where he wanted them.

Dick was getting the crowd on his side. Maybe he still had more of the circus boy in him than he thought. So far so good. He had said nothing but the truth.

Now, the hard part was coming. Time to lie through his teeth: "It's true that he has lost his way recently. But as heroes we believe in redemption. And Bruce has been working hard to better himself. BC can attest to that."

"I can", Dinah said, "He has been surprisingly open in our sessions. I have allowed him to patrol Gotham again for a few weeks now. With the new Robin. The boy seems to be good for him. There have been no complaints."

Dick nodded: "Bruce is flawed but he is a good man. And he is worthy of the League."

Dick suddenly felt very tired but he forced the hardest lie out anyway. It was what Kaldur and the mission needed: "I forgive him."

The effect on the League was magical. Flash stared at him – mouth wide open.

Hal Jordan smirked in smug satisfaction: "See? I was right from the beginning. The kid is backing me up."

"Are you sure, Nightwing?", Martian Manhunter asked, "I'm sensing some distress from you."

"The last few days have been especially stressful, but I am completely sure", Dick put on his performer's smile.

That decided it. Clark nodded – a softness in his eyes: "The incident with Kaldur has shown us that we should put more trust in the Team. If Nightwing thinks that Batman is ready to rejoin, we should believe him."

Dick's throat felt constricted. Clark looked so proud of him. It was the way Dick wished Bruce would look at him. An unattainable goal.

"That leaves only Diana", Hawkwoman said, "We need her. Badly - as the last few months have shown. The Light attacked the press conference in an attempt to show the League as weak without two of its founders. And we barely defeated them."

"I'll talk to her", Dick said, "She will listen to me."

The League members nodded. Visibly relieved.

"That's it", Clark said, "This meeting is adjourned if no one has anything to add."

He seemed eager to end the discussion so none of the other members said anything.

Clark floated from his chair before even Flash could move. He pulled Dick into a hug and looked him over.

"And nothing is broken?", Clark held Dick by the shoulders.

"RT looked me over", Dick said, "I may not be a Kryptonian but I'm not made out of glass."

Clark nodded still not satisfied: "And you are sure that you are fine?"

"I'm as fine as the current situation allows. I'm settling into my new life."

"Police Academy?", Clark smiled fondly, "It fits you far more than some boring business degree."

"I thought the same", Dick said.

Bruce had been furious when he had heard about Dick's job choice. Clark's pride was a refreshing change.

("Don't you know that being a police officer involves carrying a gun?"

"I'm not an idiot, Bruce. I know what the job entails."

"Guns are a coward's weapon."

"They are a tool for an officer of the law to defend themselves. And carrying one doesn't mean that I intend to use it a lot. Just as a last resort."

"Do you hear yourself talking? You would be murdering people. Will Nightwing also carry a gun from now on?"

"He won't because it's different. As a police officer, I will be held accountable if I make a mistake. As Nightwing, no one could investigate me."

Bruce walked away. He didn't understand. He never did.)

Clark's grip on his shoulder shook Dick out of his memories. He still had this fondness on his face. Pure boy scout.

"And Team leader", Clark shook his head, "When did you grow up so fast?"

Dick laughed. He felt something within himself loosen. Clark had that effect on people. He had always offered Dick a safe haven when Bruce had become too overbearing. Choosing Nightwing as his name, after a Kryptonian legend, had been Dick's way to honor Clark's influence. – Next to it being a really cool title.

Clark slung his arm around Dick's shoulder: "I'm so proud of you, kid. You're one of the best. No superpowers needed. You'll do great things."

Dick chuckled: "You aren't that bad yourself."

"You should come over to dinner though. With Lois, Connor and me on the Kent farm. You've become far too thin."

"I will."

* * *

Dick had been a kid when he had last seen Themiscyra. Diana had often watched over him when Bruce had been occupied. It had been an exception as most of the League had never been on the island. The Amazons were extremely protective of their land since Steve Trevor had crashed near them unknowingly bringing hostile soldiers with him.

Diana had told Dick the story – sadness in her eyes. She always became melancholic when Steve Trevor was mentioned.

Dick stepped out of the zeta beam and was greeted by spears to his neck. He didn't know the two Amazons who were looking at him with narrowed eyes. One of them seemed to be older and she was built out of pure muscle. The other one was nimbler and looked to the older Amazon for direction.

Dick put up his hands. They told him to give away all of his weapons. He complied.

"What is the aim of your visit, human?", the leader said.

"I would like to talk to Diana."

"Diana is not interested in communication with humans right now. Especially not if they are from the Justice League", she said, "She has repeatedly expressed her disdain for the League."

"It's good then that I'm not a member", Dick smiled.

The younger Amazon looked him over. She said something to her fellow warrior in an ancient language.

The leader frowned: "What is your name, child?"

"Nightwing."

Silence.

The older said after a while: "Diana will want to see you. She was concerned."

"Thank you", Dick took this opportunity to look around.

Themyscira was as beautiful as he remembered it. Pearl-white beaches and glistening water formed the edge of the island. They walked up a road towards a castle. Amazons on horseback passed them. They greeted their sisters.

Battle cries and the clang of swords came from everywhere. Dick could get glimpses of the Amazons training. He had always been mesmerized by the precision with which they wielded their weapons and how well they coordinated their fight moves. He couldn't suppress his grin at seeing the legendary warriors fight.

The younger Amazon started a conversation with him asking him how he knew Diana.

"I've known her since I was a child", Dick said, "She used to work with my guardian in the League."

"You are still a child", the leader said.

"Diana always calls me that. She will probably never stop - even when my body is all wrinkly while she is still in her full Amazon glory."

The younger Amazon laughed.

They reached a training ground that was situated near the castle.

Diana was sparring with a few younger Amazons. She only had her lasso while the other warriors ran at her with swords.

Diana effortlessly managed to take their weapons with the rope. She screamed instructions: "Don't leave yourselves open. Coordinate your attacks."

They needed her back in the League. Seeing her fight with so much ferocity and elegance made Dick even surer of that.

Diana halted when she saw Dick. He nodded at her.

"Keep practicing", Diana said.

The other Amazons didn't listen. They looked at Dick in curiosity. He did his best to look friendly. Diana pulled him into an embrace.

"Miss me?", Dick asked.

Diana looked him over probably to check him for injuries: "Thank, Hera. You are unharmed – as much as you will be."

"I missed you too, Auntie D."

Dick had always called her that when he had been younger. She lighted up at the nickname.

"I assume you want to talk privately?", she said.

Dick nodded. He nodded at the two guards: "Thanks for bringing me here. It was nice meeting you."

The younger one waved at him enthusiastically while the other hid a grin under her stoic facade.

"Making new friends?", Diana teased.

"Yeah, after we got off to a spear-y start."

Diana laughed at his antics. He always acted younger around her as if the last few years didn't happen. Maybe because he would always be a child compared to her.

Diana led him down to one of the beaches. They made small-talk on the way. Diana wanted to know how his life had been in the last few months.

"It's been difficult", Dick said, "Wally and Artemis have left the team and we lost a member."

"Aquagirl. May Zeus bless her. From what I've heard, she was a brave child."

"She was. Tula was amazing. She sacrificed her life for us and dozens of other people."

"I wish no child would have to sacrifice themselves for the greater good."

Dick bit his lip: "That's the problem, isn't it? We'll always be on the frontlines whether we want to or not. The world is a dangerous place. The only difference is that we choose to fight evil."

"You shouldn't have to", Diana looked at the sea.

They had arrived at a beach. Diana's melancholy told him enough.

"He landed here, didn't he? Steve Trevor?"

"Yes", Diana said, "I pulled him out of the water. He would have drowned otherwise."

"Saving people since 1918."

"I've been questioning a lot of things lately."

"I noticed", Dick said, "Remember when you told me about your adventures during World War I?"

"I wouldn't call it an adventure", Diana frowned, "It was a horrible cesspool of suffering and violence. But there was light in between. Something that was worth saving. Steve gave his life for this light and I swore to honor his memory."

"Has something changed? Did the light vanish?"

They looked at the sea.

Diana seemed thoughtful: "No. It's still as bright as it always has been. Every time I lose faith, I look at your young team of heroes and I see hope. I just wonder if the League are the right people to preserve our light."

"They are flawed. We all are."

"What Bruce did was more than flawed."

"I know. I needed some time to see that."

Diana seemed surprised: "You've always been strictly loyal to Bruce."

"He broke my trust", Dick gritted his teeth, "But he is trying to regain it. He has been taking therapy with Dinah and she has been mostly clearing him."

"And is he succeeding in regaining your trust?"

"It will take time. A lot of it", Dick said.

She nodded: "Never forget your worth, my child. We all deserve respect."

Dick smiled. Diana was by far his most protective mother figure. She would have fought by his side in Arkham and not left him. (And they would have torn the place apart with their combined asterness.)

He said: "I think you are making a mistake, D."

Diana grinned: "I was waiting for you to get to the point."

"You are isolating yourself. The people out there need your help. Humanity is flawed but it is still worth saving. Same goes for the League."

"They are working to get Bruce back into their ranks."

"He suffered consequences. He's been shunned by the League for months now. Deservedly. They will put him on strict regulations. The League needs you", Dick said, "And more importantly: I need you."

Diana looked up: "What changed?"

"Kaldur has turned to the Light. Tula's death and finding out that Manta is his father was too much for him. I've lost one of my closest friends", Dick said.

Diana's face softened. Dick felt horrible for lying to her. But it was all for the sake of the mission.

"I'm leader of the team now", Dick said, "I don't feel like I'm ready. And I don't feel like I have a Justice League that I can trust to back me up."

Diana stayed quiet.

"The hero community is broken right now while the Light keeps getting stronger. The intel that Kaldur alone can give them will be invaluable", Dick shook his head, "It's a nightmare."

"Why do you think I could change it?"

Dick looked at her. He was honest when he said: "Because I can trust you. You won't get lost in darkness like Bruce did and you aren't afraid to address the things others avoid. You are right that the League isn't morally infallible, but they protect millions of innocents from the Light and other threats."

Diana stayed silent for a while. Then she nodded: "I think you are right, my child. It is not the Amazon way to isolate myself from humanity. Not if it needs me."

Dick smiled: "I knew you would do the right thing."

Diana shook her head: "You've always had everyone wrapped around your little finger."

"I don't know what you mean", Dick teased.

Diana pulled him into another hug. She looked at him again – in concern: "You should eat more properly, my child."

* * *

Bruce was out patrolling again. Tim was with him. Dick kept his distance but followed them through the night. He wanted to make sure that Bruce didn't overstep his lines with Tim. It seemed peaceful.

The night was unusually quiet and Bruce took the opportunity to show Tim how to grapple. The boy stood near the ledge of a skyscraper visibly fearful.

"Remember what I told you?", Bruce said.

"You'll catch me if I fall."

"Right", Bruce smiled softly.

Was Dick seeing right? He checked twice if the lenses in his mask were adjusted correctly.

Tim took on a determined stance. He sent a line to the other side of the street.

"What do you have to do?", Bruce asked.

"Check if it's firm."

"I'll be there to catch you now but I won't always be there", Bruce said.

Tim nodded and pulled on the line: "It's firm."

"Good job, Robin."

Dick's stomach clenched. No. He would not be doing this again. This time he wouldn't be a jealous idiot. He wouldn't make the same mistake he had made with Jason. He would skip the jealous infighting and directly be a proper brother to Tim. Bruce was just making it so damn hard.

Tim took a last look at Bruce and jumped. He was a bit unsteady but he landed on the other side. Bruce followed him. They repeated it over and over. It went on for an hour and Dick was getting cold. He itched to move but he stayed behind the gargoyle he was hiding behind.

"You're getting better", Bruce said, "The last Robin also needed some time to get used to it so don't worry. You'll get there."

Tim smiled: "What about the first one?"

"Nightwing was a natural", Bruce seemed thoughtful, "The air has always been his domain. He was amazing even when he started. It's similar to your detective skills."

Dick bit his lip. He wouldn't have expected Bruce to say anything positive about himself. His mentor had been trying to apologize for months now but Dick had always assumed that it was another one of Bruce's tricks.

What could he achieve by praising Dick in front of Tim? Was he genuine? Or was he trying to stoke up a rivalry between them? Dick sighed and hid his face in his hands for a moment. He was being paranoid again – overanalyzing every step Bruce made. He couldn't stop. How should he know what Bruce was thinking after his mentor had repeatedly exploited Dick's deepest fears?

Bruce halted. He seemed to notice something in an alley and signified Tim to follow him. They crossed several rooftops seemingly tracking someone.

Dick followed. He knew that he needed to talk to Bruce. Batman was the last puzzle piece the League needed. But he couldn't get himself to do so. Even if Bruce seemed to have truly changed.

Tim must have affected him greatly. He had done what Dick couldn't. Turned Bruce back to the light. Dick had always been supposed to be the light to Bruce's shadows. At least, that was what everyone had told him. But what was he if he had failed in his singular task?

There were voices coming from an alley. Apparently, a quick weapons deal. Routine for Batman. Dick thought about leaving but stuck around.

The new dynamic duo dropped down in the alley. There were sounds of bones breaking and Bruce screaming advice at Tim. It seemed like they had everything under control. Until more gangsters joined.

Bruce increasingly looked at Tim who struggled with his opponent. He didn't seem to be an already capable fighter like the streets had molded Jason into. Dick perched on the ledge. He bit his lip in worry. Bruce was keeping his back open while he was making sure that Tim was safe. A gangster saw Batman's weakness and creeped closer with a knife.

Nightwing jumped down and landed on the gangster's shoulder using him as a springboard. The guy fell to the floor from the momentum. Bruce looked at Dick in surprise.

"Watch your back, Batman."

"I'm a bit rusty", Bruce said.

Hearing his admission almost made Dick halt. What had Dinah done to change him so fundamentally? He almost was like the Bruce Dick had known as a child.

Together, they easily took out their opponents. Tim called in the police.

"Why are you here?", Bruce looked at Dick.

"I wanted to see if the reports were true. A changed Batman is supposed to be in town."

"What do you think?"

"I'm not sure yet. But I can't leave you like this if you are truly rusty."

"It almost sounds as if you are worried", Bruce smiled.

Dick stayed silent. He crossed his arms.

Tim looked between them: "I think it would be so cool if Nightwing could patrol with us."

"I can show you all the places that give Robin a free snack", Dick ruffled Tim's hair.

The kid was adorable. And he had a lot of potential. Still, Dick was uncomfortable at the idea of a new Robin. At least, Bruce treated him with respect – even if it could be false.

He grappled up the building.

* * *

Dick came back to the cave – only because of Tim's puppy dog face and to see Alfred. He looked around. The Batcave hadn't changed much.

Bruce briefed Tim about patrol giving him things to improve and even praise. Alfred took the kid up to the manor.

Then, there was silence. Nightwing kept his back to Bruce still keeping his mask on. It helped him make the hard decisions – he had to make for the mission. Kaldur had contacted him from a burner phone telling him that everything was going according to plan and that he was getting closer to Manta. It was time for Dick to keep his end of the bargain.

"We have to talk", Bruce said.

Dick turned around. Bruce was without his cowl and in sweatpants. He _really_ had changed. (Or had he?) Dick crossed his arms waiting for Bruce to talk.

"I'm sorry", Bruce said, "I hurt you. And I violated your trust multiple times. All because I was occupied with revenge."

Dick stayed silent.

"I thought that I had lost the whole game with Jason's death. That the Joker had irreversibly proved me wrong. That the only way to find meaning now was to kill the Joker as the last act of Batman."

Bruce walked closer to Dick: "I'm honest with you, Dick. I often thought about ending it after killing the Joker. You saved my life when stopping me and I have to thank you for that."

Dick's arms fell to his side: "You would have just left Alfred and me alone?"

Bruce flinched: "I was so caught up in losing Jason that I didn't see what I still had."

Dick's throat felt dry. Bruce seemed vulnerable. His face was ashen and dark circles were under his eyes. Dick internally cursed. How could he still be angry at B if his mentor had admitted that he had been basically suicidal? Still, Dick couldn't just fall back to Bruce's side. Not when he remembered how Bruce had been ignoring him while Dick had fought for survival. Or how Bruce had stabbed a needle in Dick's neck while he had hugged him.

"I would never want you dead, B. Not even after everything that happened. Suicide is never the answer."

"I know", Bruce lowered his gaze, "I've been feeling this emptiness since Jason died. It's gotten better since Tim. But there's still a lot missing. You are missing."

Dick couldn't keep himself from biting back: "I thought I was inadequate."

Bruce flinched again. The desperate look didn't suit him.

"I didn't mean what I said in the months after Jason's death."

"For not meaning it, you repeated it quite often", Nightwing turned away from Bruce.

Bruce walked closer. It was rare that Dick was the one with the mask. Normally, it was him with the naked eyes desperately trying to get through to Bruce who didn't want to listen.

"Please, Dick. Let's talk. Without the mask. That was always so important to you."

"You never took off your mask."

"I was a coward."

Dick stayed silent. How was he supposed to reply? Bruce had backed him into a corner again.

Bruce reached out towards Dick's shoulder. Dick let him but he kept his arms crossed and evaded Bruce's gaze.

"The way you handled the last few months was admirable", Bruce stepped closer, "You built your own life in Blüdhaven all on your own under incredibly stressful circumstances."

"But you don't approve."

Bruce bit his lip - Batman actually showed signs of being nervous: "I talked to Clark about you being a police officer. He- He gave me a new perspective. You are devoting your life to helping people."

Dick felt frozen. Bruce's face seemed open. He looked at Dick in something akin to admiration. It was what he had been wanting for years.

"I'm proud of you, son", Bruce wiped a strand of hair out of Dick's forehead.

It was a casual, comforting gesture. A little sign that Bruce cared.

"S- Son?", Dick's chest clenched.

Bruce had never called him that. Dick had always been a ward or protegee.

"Yes. You're my son and I took way too long to realize that."

Dick was still frozen. His brain went into overdrive. Bruce thought of Dick as family. He cared. He wasn't counting the days until Dick was 18 and he could cut all ties. Dick wanted to reach out to Bruce. He wanted to hug his _father_ and bury his face in his chest like a little kid. Because everything would be OK.

Dick reached out to Bruce but he halted before he touched him. His paranoia was coming full circle. Bruce knew how much it meant to Dick to be seen as a son. To get Bruce's approval. What if he was using the same old tricks again just as he had in the Watchtower cell? Then, he had also pulled Dick into a hug just for a needle to end up in Dick's neck.

Dick blinked back tears. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't he just take good things at face value like he used to?

Bruce noticed his hesitation and stepped forward. He opened his arms. The environment flickered. Bruce's sweatpants turned into a Watchtower prison garb. The stone walls of the Cave into metallic surfaces.

Dick's breathing quickened. He felt like the walls were caving in on him – like Bruce was caving in on him. Dick shoved his guardian away.

Bruce frowned. His eyes dripped with hurt.

"Not this time", Dick rushed towards his motorcycle.

Bruce looked as if Dick had slapped him.

He followed Dick: "Please. There is something I need to tell you.

"Is it about the mission again?"

"No. It has nothing to do with Batman and Nightwing."

Dick scoffed. Batman and Nightwing were the only thing they were still talking about. The only thing Bruce still needed Dick for.

Bruce became increasingly desperate: "Stay here."

"You can't order me to do anything anymore."

"Please."

Dick halted and turned around: "I'm telling the League that we resolved our issues so that you can rejoin."

"Why?"

"Because the League needs you."

"There's more to it", Bruce narrowed his eyes, "You are planning something."

"I'm leader of the Team now. I have to think of the mission first."

Bruce flinched: "Don't make the same mistakes I did."

Dick frowned. Irritated. Bruce had always told him that Nightwing was too soft. Dick had never wanted to be Batman. But Bruce had continually pushed him into the direction until Dick hadn't been able to take it anymore. Bruce got what he wanted. And now he wasn't happy either? Could the guy ever be satisfied? Or was Dick just fundamentally too broken to be loved?

"I've never wanted you to become like me. I told it to Diana years ago during a League meeting. It's true that I lost sight of that idea in the last few months. But I stand by it. Don't become as destructive as me", Bruce's gaze softened.

Dick put on his helmet. Another layer of protection. He didn't want to think about what Bruce had said.

"I know I pushed you. I told you that everything that made you who you are is wrong. Being open towards people. Being able to ask for help. Trusting them. I called you weak for all these things but I was wrong. These things are what makes you great. What makes you better than Batman."

Dick halted. He wanted to turn around. To believe Bruce. But he couldn't. He had lost all these abilities that Bruce praised him for.

"I'm not like that anymore", Dick whispered.

He scoffed at the irony. He hadn't been enough when he had been himself and now that he had changed he again was not enough.

"You will be again", Bruce said, "That's your greatest strength. You always bounce back no matter what the world throws at you."

Dick ignored Bruce's words. It was too painful to think about them.

He swung himself onto the motorcycle: "I'll patrol with you in the next few weeks because of Tim. He's still too inexperienced to watch your back. And I can't afford any of you to be out in the open. We'll work together purely on a professional basis – just as you've always wanted."

Dick started the engine.

Bruce looked like a kicked puppy (a weird look for Batman). It gave Dick a spiteful sense of satisfaction.

"Will you at least be home for Christmas?", Bruce asked.

Dick halted. He hadn't expected that.

"For Tim and Alfred", he drove away.

Dick kept his tears at bay during the way to Blüdhaven. On the highway, an unknown number called him.

"Yes", he said.

"I have intel and not much time. Meet me in Blüdhaven."

"Spot 5", Dick said, "I'll wait there."

They had decided on different meeting locations to make it harder to track them.

"Are you okay?", Kaldur asked.

"I'm great", Dick said.

It was one lie in a long chain of lies.


	22. Chapter 22

22\. Bruce

There were three instances in his life where Bruce had felt helpless. First, the murder of his parents after which his childhood self had sworn to never be passive again. He had spent years of steeling his body and mind. Travelling over the globe in search for guidance from the best and surpassing them. He had felt invincible when he had returned to Gotham. As if nothing could stop him from hunting down crime. Batman had been aggressive in his pursuit of criminals. A monstrous, urban legend. He had crossed lines that made him shudder in retrospect.

Batman hadn't always succeeded in saving everyone but he had always acted. He had never been that passive boy in the alley again. Dick had softened his edges. Made him see humanity again where Bruce had seen evil and cowardice. Still, Bruce had always felt invincible. There had been some close calls but Dick and him had always made it out.

Jason had shown him how it felt to be helpless again. To be the boy in the alley again. Batman had been useless that night. He had been too late. After the dust settled, the only thing he could do was cradle his dead son's body close – just as he had clutched to his parents' bodies in that alley. But it hadn't changed anything. Jason was still dead because Bruce hadn't been enough. Hunting Joker down had been Bruce's way of being active. Of taking charge. At least, that's what Black Canary had told him.

"Do you think killing Joker would change anything?", she had asked.

No. It wouldn't. Not for Jason. But it would have made Bruce feel better. At least, that's what he had told himself. Dick had again shown him that he was wrong.

Bruce was slumped in the chair in front of the Batcomputer hiding his face in his hands. Seeing his oldest son leave him had been the third instance where Bruce had felt helpless. The instance that had shown him that he was still like that boy in the alley. That there were situations he couldn't control. People he couldn't control. Bruce had shoved Dick away with his actions and now he was out of reach. His son was turning into a version of himself that Bruce had always tried to avoid.

Allowing Dick to be Robin, letting him join the Team, allowing him to become his own hero. Bruce had made all these decisions with the aim that Dick found his peace. That he wouldn't turn out like Batman himself. And Dick had done great in that regard. Better than Bruce had hoped. Until Bruce had torn it all apart with his actions. And now he couldn't fix it. He was helpless again.

Bruce felt as if someone had ripped his heart out. The emptiness in his chest was unbearable.

He didn't dare to look up from his hands. Just seeing the insides of the Cave made him sick.

Batcomputer, Batmobile, Batsuit…

Dick had been a child when he had named everything with that prefix. Bruce had scolded him for being unprofessional but secretely he had found it amusing. And the names had stuck. Seeing the Batcave and all the marks his son had left o#n his life made him see how much he had lost.

Bruce had known that he had power over Dick. He had known that he could permanently break something within his son. But he had risked it again and again. Until it had been too much. And now he could kick himself for it.

Dick was planning something and he didn't trust Bruce enough to let him in. Bruce knew where plans like these ended. He'd walked these paths often enough. But there was nothing he could do. He wasn't the one who could steer Dick into the right direction when he was the reason Dick had gone off-path in the first place. Bruce wondered if Dick had anyone left to steer him back.

Wally and Artemis had left the Team. Kaldur had betrayed them. M'Gann and Connor were still there but they were caught up in their own relationship problems. No one knew the cause of their disagreements, but they had become more frequent – a worried Black Canary had told him in private.

Speak of the devil. The Batcomputer beeped - opening an email. Black Canary had sent him his clearance for the Justice League. Dick must have called her and flat out lied to her.

Bruce hit the wooden tabletop. Everything was a mess. He thought about refusing the invitation but Dick was planning something. And, apparently, Bruce being a member of the League was part of this plan.

Bruce was helpless at the moment. But he could still accept the invitations just to give his son back-up. Dick needed him right now (even if he would never admit it). If his son wouldn't let Bruce support him outright, Batman would do it from the shadows. It was ironic how their positions had flipped.

Tim came down the stairs. He put his hand on Bruce's elbow.

"He isn't staying for breakfast?", Tim seemed disappointed that his hero had left.

"We still have some… issues", Bruce ruffled the boy's hair, "But he's coming for Christmas. And he'll be your leader when you join the team. You'll spend a lot of time together."

It would be good for both of them. Maybe his little brother would be someone to anchor Dick when Bruce couldn't. Maybe the current Robin would be able to pull Dick back just as Tim had done for Bruce. Just as Dick had done for Bruce when he had taken the young boy in.

It was strange how much his children had done for him. And now that Bruce could see it, it was too late.

Tim bit his lip: "I'm not ready for the Team yet."

"You will be in a few months. But it takes a lot of maturity to admit your flaws. Something that a great hero needs."

And an ability that Batman didn't have.

Tim beamed under the praise. Bruce smiled. He would do everything to make sure that Tim wouldn't end up like Jason. Or that he wouldn't hate him like Dick did. It hurt to think of the relationships to his oldest two boys as screw-ups. He would never think of the boy themselves as screw-ups though. Even after everything that had happened, Bruce was proud of both of them. Jason who had channeled his anger into helping people. And Dick who – even though he was struggling right now – still had become his own person.

"Come on, Tim", Bruce said, "Let's get some of Alfred's waffles."

* * *

Bruce still felt this emptiness inside of him when he sat among the League in the next meeting. Diana was also back. She glared at Bruce with hatred. The other members either walked like on eggshells around him or treated him like nothing had changed.

It reminded him of his early years as a more closed-off Batman. Before Dick had come into his life. Bruce had forgotten how it felt to be viewed with so little trust by his fellow teammates. But he couldn't change it. As for now, it was business as usual.

* * *

**AN: …And this was the last complete chapter. Next week, there is only an epilogue left. I'm already feeling quite nostalgic right now because this is the first multi-chapter fic I've ever written.**

**Here are some of my thoughts behind the story if anyone's interested (because I think that character analysis is fun):**

**It started out with this plot bunny of how Young Justice Bruce would react to Jason's death and ended up becoming a character study on Dick's and Bruce's relationship. I love fics where they are really supportive of each other but I also love it when their relationship is a tangled mess where one of them says one thing and the other understands the opposite.**

**Bruce comes off as quite a horrible person in this fic at times but it was never my intention to bash him. I love his character. Otherwise, I wouldn't write about him.**

**So, I have Bruce starting out in a really dark place with Dick trying to pull him out of it. Dick continually sticks to Bruce's side and tries to do what he has always done as Robin. Be the light to Batman's dark. But there is a point where it becomes too much and something within Dick breaks: the Arkham arc. **

**After this shift, their positions switch. Bruce (sometimes in his backwards way) tries to get through to Dick but Dick doesn't let him. After losing the Team as his support system, Dick ends up in the dark place he is in during the second season of the show. **

**But while everything is really bad right now, there is some hope. Tim's arrival allows Bruce to see the light again and he is also a little brother to Dick that he feels responsible for. Because giving people hope is what Robins do and one big reason why I love them so much.**

**I hope that all of that makes sense. If anyone has their own interpretation, it would be really fun to hear. **


	23. Epilogue

**AN:**

**jthm7izim: Wow. Your comment was incredible to read and I loved your take on the story. Thank you so much for this thoughtful piece of writing! **

**You were spot on. I also think it's true that some relationships can't be salvaged. Sometimes, the consistent damage that has been done is too much to fix even if the guilty party sincerely tries.**

**Your analysis of Bojack Horseman was also really intriguing. I have never actually watched the show even though I've heard that it's really good. It's definitely on my radar now. It sounds like it would be up my ally. So, thank you for the implicit recommendation. I wish you all the best as well!**

* * *

**Epilogue: The Doctor**

Batman was back on the streets of Gotham patrolling with the third Robin and Batgirl. Nightwing had been with them at first. But he had left for Blüdhaven after a few weeks again.

Gotham had embraced its vigilante back with open arms. What Batman had done to Nightwing – documented for millions of eyes to see – was only a passing reference. Everyone who had been critical of Batman's re-emergence had become silent after the first big Arkham outbreak.

Batman was a looming presence over Gotham's streets. The Doctor had read the headlines praising Batman's heroics. Heard conversations about how much safer it had been since the vigilante was back. Seen the Batsignal alight in the night sky.

The last one had hurt the most because it meant that Gordon was working with the Dark Knight again. The Commissioner may find Batman morally questionable – but they needed each other. Without their partnership, all of Gotham would suffer.

Every time, she saw any snippet that portrayed Batman as Gotham's savior, she thought about the handprints around Nightwing's neck. The way he had curled into a protective shell when he had assumed that no one was looking. How he had told her that he was breaking from shouldering the Bat's emotional weight. How he felt obliged to take anything the Bat threw his way just because the Dark Knight had _'saved'_ him.

None of it counted in Gotham. The city would always cling to its dark icon and justify everything he did. She had heard every damn excuse.

The second Robin vanishing under mysterious circumstances? He had been a loud-mouthed brat anyway. Batman punching criminals into a coma because of his rage? Everyone needed to let off some steam and it wasn't like the criminals didn't deserve it. Batman's lust for revenge almost leading to Nightwing's death? That's what the kid got for running off to Blüdhaven.

She was sick of this hypocrisy. So, she had left Gotham - moving to the other side of the river.

Blüdhaven was the city of the outcasts. Even its crime was less glamourous. It was mostly plagued by brutal gangs, not colorful rogues. But glamour had never been a condition for danger.

In Gotham, people died if they stumbled into one of the Joker's newest schemes. It would be the headline of all news outlets the next day. In Blüdhaven, you would die by being strangled in a back alley and thrown into the harbor. No news stories. No sensationalism. Just a daily occurrence.

But if Blüdhaven understood one thing, it was being an underdog. The former whaling town had seen its best days. The neon billboards advertising new casinos and amusement miles barely pulled any tourists into the city. Instead, they drew in those who felt lost.

And Blüdhaven welcomed the disillusioned with open arms. When she walked along its streets, she saw newspapers and screens praising Nightwing's latest heroics. She heard people talking about how Nightwing had saved them from a mugging and had stayed with them to comfort them until the police came.

She had never heard a good word about Batman on the lesser side of the river. If the topic of vigilantes came up in one of the city's many bars, people scoffed at a mention of the Dark Knight. The vigilante who had never done anything for Gotham's sister city. Even if it was just as crime-infested. The vigilante who had treated the hero that cared for their city like shit.

Yes. She was right at home in Blüdhaven.

The Doctor crossed a sleazy alley on her way back from work always aware of her surroundings. Blüdhaven General was smaller and more understaffed than Gotham General. But it was a small sacrifice to make.

A black-and-blue shadow was perched on a railing above her.

She looked up: "Have you been following me?"

"Not that long", Nightwing shrugged sheepishly.

He jumped down from the railing and landed in front of her.

"I wouldn't have expected to see my favorite Doc here", he said, "Most Gothamites would never give Blüdhaven a second glance."

She shrugged: "I needed a scene change."

He nodded: "Scene changes can really give you a new perspective."

The neon lights tinted his face in bright color.

"Batman is back in Gotham", she said.

He tensed: "I know."

She frowned. Nightwing looked thinner than the last time she had seen him. More gangly. And she would bet that he had dark shadows under his eyes that were covered by the mask.

"What happened?", she asked, "You seem… different."

He sighed: "I can't tell you much – just that I'm kind of leading the Team now. I'm involved in some serious shit, Doc."

Her throat felt dry. He still looked too young to shoulder this kind of responsibility especially after what he had been through.

"I'll be fine, Doc. Really. I always am", he pulled something out of his pocket, "I actually am here to give you this."

She looked down at the black-and-blue communicator.

"Blüdhaven is dangerous so if something happens - maybe at the hospital or wherever - you can call me."

She nodded and put the communicator into her bag: "This goes both ways."

He frowned.

"You look like shit, kid. You need someone on your side. So, you better call me if you need someone to patch you up."

"Doc, it could be dangerous-"

"I lived in Gotham all my life and worked directly on the front lines in the hospital. Do you think I care about danger?"

He shook his head smiling: "If you say so, Doc. But be prepared to see some weird stuff – probably in the middle of the night."

"I think I can take it."

He hesitated fidgeting with his grappling hook: "I actually arranged for Batman to be back."

She crossed her arms.

"Don't look at me like that, Doc. Gotham and the League needed him back. There is something on the horizon that only a united Justice League can deal with. It is – how would you say, Doc? – above my paygrade. Well, if I was actually getting paid for all this superheroing."

She stayed silent. But she was sure that he was selling himself short. If he could _'arrange'_ something for the League to do, then his paygrade seemed to be low in name only. He was playing a dangerous game and she hoped that the kid – whom she had pulled back from the brink of death - would see the other side of these impossible odds.

There was the low sound of a voice coming from Nightwing's ear. The vigilante frowned while he listened.

"Lagoon Boy did what?", he sounded exasperated running his hand through his hair, "Tell Superboy to keep it together until I'm there."

"Business above your paygrade?"

He grimaced: "No. Business that should be below my paygrade."

Nightwing jumped up a fire escape with his usual flair. Now, she knew where the flashy pictures in the newspapers came from. The kid was quite a show-off.

"Hope you enjoy your time in Blüdhaven", he nodded at her.

He seemed less tense after she had offered him her support. It must be exhausting to work as a vigilante without having someone to patch you up if you were in a tight spot. She didn't want to know how he had managed before.

"It seems to be the right city for people like us. A place for a new start", she said.

He gave her a thumbs-up and vanished into the shadows of the billboards. She felt reassured. He would be fine. That was the thing about underdogs: They were hard to keep down.

* * *

**AN: Wow. It's really over now. Finishing this story is really bittersweet.**

**If anyone's interested: My description of Blüdhaven is heavily inspired by Nightwing Rebirth. I'm reading it right now and it's impressive how well-realized and interesting the city is. It is its own character and the art is stunning. Really enjoyable.**

**I'd like to take this opportunity to again thank everyone who interacted with this fanfiction. Seeing that people enjoyed this story was always a highlight for me and this community is very awesome and welcoming.**

**Writing for this fandom has been so much fun that I'm writing another Dick-Grayson-multichapter fanfiction. Now that I've started, I can't stop. :D**


End file.
